“You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.” ~Pema Chodron
New work & a little story.
In 2017 I did the 100 Day Project. (See them here!) & it really changed the way I approach my work. These pieces became so poignant by making the collages and finding the words to help me process so much that was happening in life. They were touchstones to help me heal from losing my mom and my seemingly never ending grief. I have found since making them that the imagery and words offer others a moment of healing too. This hasn’t left me & I’ve felt strongly that my work has important purpose that being to bring about some clarity and perhaps a moment of healing for the viewer no matter the imagery.
I created a series of digital collages last year using photographs taken while on my daily walks during lockdown thru the pandemic. I had to teach from home for a year and I live by myself. So my daily walks, often multiple were vital to my health all around. Because like many of us I was on my computer all day as well as having to rely on screens for both entertainment and communication I needed nature and the sky & trees to give me and my brain something else to focus on. I was also meditating daily (still do!) and the use of visualizations helped me manage thoughts that can pop in your head. I often use mandalas for these visualizations as they are a common symbols used for this practice. Because I was taking so many photos I started to play with how they might become healing images for my meditation practice and for a moment of peace away from screens inspired by nature. By digitally manipulating them I created what I call, “Inner Compasses” for the journey one takes inward during meditation. These pieces are digitally printed and mounted on wood cradle board with typed words of inspiration and hand painted embellishments. I’ll have these one of a kind pieces at my upcoming shows as well as smaller prints all of which will be available on this site next month!!! I’m new at selling online so it’s all very exciting and scary! But it’s time and I’m very excited. Thanks for being here~
Upcoming Shows & life update!
It’s September 1st and the air has changed…finally. There’s a freshness to the breeze that helps my shoulders drop a bit, and actually exhale. This is something that I haven’t really done yet but welcome fully as 2023 ticks towards Fall because it’s been….a year hasn’t it.
Much like many I’ve had some major life changes this year. I decided after 31 years it was time to end my teaching career. I was fortunate enough to have 26 years in Fairfax County Public Schools which allowed me to retire early but it still was a heavy lift to finally decide. I’ve known for a while now that I needed to make a change and restructure my life to bring in more balance and joy. And this decision felt like the gateway to that path. I was at my current school for 20 years so the excavation of those years was going to be a heavy lift. But once I decided the plan was to take the Spring to start offloading it all. Silly me.
Unfortunately my dad was admitted to the hospital the beginning of March and was in for 6 weeks. I traveled up to NY 3 times between March and April to be with him for whatever time we had left. My dad was amazing & I was lucky. We lost him Easter morning. I could go on about grief and family and caregiving…but for now I’ll just say…everyone is dealing with something so while I’m trying to be kind to myself I’m also trying to extend that to others. And also grief sucks.
Needless to say the remainder of the school year was a blur. I managed somehow return to school knowing I only had a few months to contend with made it bearable and easier to start to let go especially with way less in my tank. I also managed to crowbar all the crap I’d accumulated (er, I mean collected!) into my car, and then into my storage unit. The storage unit I also had been loading up with all the mementos I’d inherited from my parents house. It’s hard to let things go. But I’ve finally come to realize how stuck I really was.
We cannot plan anything. I mean, we can but doesn’t the Universe laugh or something? Well, the intention is to keep building my art practice and see where it takes me. It’s still cooking but I’m optimistic it’s going to be delicious once ready. Somethings take time in the oven and this is no exception. I’ve had the most incredible support from family and friends and I couldn’t have managed this year without them (Shout out to my people!) I’ve had opportunities fall in my lap that have been wonderful ways to expand and connect with people and my community that I wouldn’t have otherwise pursued because I didn’t have the time or mental bandwidth. And when you’re grieving, reaching out is vital.
So here I am, reaching out to you all and sharing the good and the exciting that’s happening in my life that I am so incredibly grateful for. To start I’ll be participating in the HalloWIERD Art Market at DelRay Artisans on Saturday September 23rd from 10 to 4 pm. It’s a spooky-halloween-fall themed event and there will be some cool stuff happening! Since I will not be participating in Art On The Avenue this year I hope to have a pretty full booth with as much as I would at AOTA so if you can make it it’d be amazing!!!
In October I will also be participating in the RECENT WORKS Exhibition at the Fairfax Railroad Museum on the 20th & 21st. This is an amazing collection of talented artists who I am lucky to also call friends. A percentage of each sale goes to the American Cancer Association and it’s a great event for a fall weekend.
I’ve also had a photograph chosen to be included in the upcoming Street Photography Exhibition, FLEETING MOMENTS at The Anthenaeum in Old Town Alexandria in October. Participating in a show at this gallery has been a goal of mine for a while so this is really exciting news!
In between I might also be selling my condo and moving….so no big! I’m staying local but it’s time to expand into more space. Until next month, I’ll be over on Instagram so don’t be a stranger! And thanks for subscribing if you’re getting this in your email…I greatly appreciate it!
Cheers~
Amy
Getting things ready
I’m excited to share more work here in the coming months and please also check my Instagram feed for day to day updates. I’m working hard on something big and will be posting more work here soon to make room for the new new coming later in the Spring! I’m participating in the 100 Day Project again this year and my daily goal is to create more videos that both record my processes and also capture my day to day doings as I start to shift a few things in my world. Can you guess what’s happening? It’s very exciting! OH, and also…if you’re interested in updates join my email list at THIS LINK at my linktr.ee on Instagram! My goal is only once a month updates with most of my day to day posted on socials so NO WORRIES! I won’t invade your inbox, promise! :) I should probably clean mine out come to think of it. Anyway! Thanks so much for being here. <3 Here’s some things I’m working on below including some patch designs and mini journals in the works with canvas covers. Thanks so much for being here~ <3
Here’s a sneak peak!
Wait, it's December? :)
Well, that Fall FLEW by! It’s officially December and we are rounding 3rd towards 2023 sort of speak…and unbelievably. What is time, right? Anyway, I just wanted to post a quick update.
So I had a great time at the Recent Works show and I’m so happy to have seen so many great friends come by and visit. It literally refills the well. These works will be available VERY SOON here on the site!
I also had a WONDERFUL time at Art On The Avenue as well. It was a lot of hard work that I frankly, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pull off…you’re girl is getting old! But it was all amazing and thanks to some very good friends (you know who you are!) I was able to really have an amazing day, and introduced some new things at the show I’ll have for sale here as well. You can take a peek below!
ART ON THE AVENUE UPDATE & RECENT WORKS SHOW!!!
Oh, thank God it’s SWEATAH WEATHAH!!! :) After a way too humid classroom because we started school in AUGUST!!! (Don’t get me started) I’m finally feeling like I can exhale a little bit. Reason? I finally have a little bit of a pace going at school so it’s not so overwhelming. (Mental Health, ya’ll!) But because of the intensity that the start of the school year brings, especially after the past few years of chaos, the plans I have for my site updates have been a littttttle delayed…eeek! I’ve got SO MUCH WORK TO SHARE WITH YOU!!! Just need some more time to get things ready as I’m actually learning how to do this in between the full time gig until THIS becomes my fulltime gig. Hopefully soon.
Until then, I’ll be continuing to use Instagram & Facebook as a means of sharing my work and happenings. I have a linktree in my bio that sends you to all the places so check it out when you can.
UPDATE #1! So, the other news that’s up is that Art On The Avenue was POSTPONED due to Hurricane Ian rolling in and possibly soaking us and/or blowing us away. It was a crappy wknd so a good decision on part of the organizers. The rescheduled date is planned for SATURDAY NOVEMEBER 12TH FROM 10-6PM. I’ll be posting reminders as we get close again, but for now mark you calendars again…and maybe find your mittens too! :) I’ll be at booth W20 & if you’re interested in getting a coupon for a free gift CLICK HERE!
UPDATE #2! I am happy to be participating in the RECENT WORKS Exhibit again at the Fairfax Railroad Museum next wknd. The opening reception is Friday, October 14th from 4pm to 8pm and then all day Saturday October 15th from 12 to 7pm. I’ll be there Saturday at 1pm till close so hope to see any local peeps there! There are several new artist joining and it’s going to be an amazing show!
It hasn't been a year yet! LOL!
Yep, it’s still here! This blog thing I have…amazing. One minute they’re “In”, then they’re “Out” now apparently they’re having a renaissance and are somehow cool again, who knew. And frankly who can keep up! I’m thinking we need a term for the cognitive whiplash we have all been in the midst of over the past few years with how much life as we know it has changed. I’m taking suggestions.
In the meantime, I’ve also been plugging away at this mother….site in between pandemic teaching and bobbing & weaving around Covid! It’s summer thank GOD and I’m finally off from school…a place where it’s starting to resemble the Wild Wild West. There isn’t any benefit to rehashing the chaos that was this past school year but suffice it to say I’m glad it’s over. I did manage to accomplish a few things in between recovering from the days including participating in 2 shows ( Click HERE & HERE to see the details! :), accomplishing the 100 Day Project again, and getting my sh*t together enough to actually, wait for it, SELL MY WORK HERE!!! Yes, you heard it right. The learning curve is a LOT, mostly because I’m just so dang tired of looking at a computer screen after so much about teaching got shifted to screens. But I’m just starting with one thing here on the site and plan to beta-test items on my Instagram Page as well.
Fun fact, I am also participating in Art On The Avenue this year! It’s been about an 8 year hiatus from that fair and I’m both excited and pre-exhausted at the thought of it. (Yeah, being over 50 is about energy management isn’t it? LOL!) But I am working on a bunch of new (and reworked old) things to have at this in-person show happening in Del Ray on Saturday October 1st! Well definitely be posting more as the time approaches and as more work gets loaded into here. For now, don’t hesitate to drop by my Instagram where I’m posting most days. I’ll be gathering emails at some point too but for now, just saying hi feels like enough.
Here’s some current stuff I’m playing with. More soon!!! :)
Is this thing on?
Welp, where do I begin? Um, yeah. 2020 is a blur. Kept my job. Pro. Taught from home for 11 months alone in my condo. Con. Was able to see family, some friends & safely participate in the Recent Works Show again in the Fall. Pro. Had my neighborhood put in lockdown because of proximity to the Capital the day it was attacked. Con. Didn’t lose anyone one. Pro. And the list keeps going. All I’ll say to anyone who is here reading this, I’m so happy you’re here, on the other side of oh so much. Oh.So.Much.
One of the few things that helped me get thru it all (besides zooms with my family & daily/hourly texts from friends who were teaching online along with me!) was being creative. I had to take walks just to get up and away from the computer but and my human brain in chaos always looks for patterns where there aren’t any. So I made them in the form of photo collages I call digital mandalas, or my personal favorite, Digital Granny Squares. I’m working on getting these formed into some cool stuff that will be available on my Etsy store soon!
I didn’t write a novel, or bake bread (rather ate a lot though!) I took pictures. The documentation of it all helps me process & I think it helps others too to see some thing familiar when in crisis especially. Not sure what will come of them but for now I’ll share a sneak peek of the “Quilt”. That may be all I I get done in the next bit of time, I have no idea how fast or slow I can get anything done anymore because frankly I feel like my brain is still a bit mushy from all of it. Going steadily along & not pressuring myself to crank as hard as I did ( well, as we all did!) before.
May you continue to be well as we relearn it all. And thanks for being here.
Recent Works show & minor updates.
I’m thrilled to be a part of a new show put on by my fellow Art Educator and Artist friend, Elaine Florimonte. This weekend, Friday & Saturday a group of 7 of us will be showing our work at the Fairfax Railroad Museum in Fairfax, Virginia. In line with Elaine’s amazing philanthropy, %15 of all sales will go to the American Cancer Society. Hope to share this will many
I am also in the process of clearing out and updating things around here as time and energy allow.
I’m not much of a blogger anymore as social media has really been an easier route to show people what I’m doing. So do check out my IG account as I post there often.
I have also been working on a few baby Google sites that I’m playing around with. I have some ideas for turning some drawings I’ve been doing into something. Will report back when that develops.
I’m thankfully on the other side of a lot of things now….including an unexpected gallbladder and hernia surgery this past summer that certainly didn’t speed up and website updates, that’s for sure! But whether or not I update daily, or yearly…life is still happening and I’m still around, doing stuff. Taking photo’s, sketching, messing with scraps and paint and found objects and of course, my journals. I’m doing it all the time. Just because it’s not broadcast daily doesn’t mean it’s not happening. And I wanted to say that for all those out there who are also doing all the things without a camera on them all the time either. It's ok. It’s actually normal. I’m good with popping in and out of someones feed when I have something significant. That’s my goal moving forward. More updates and uploads here that’s relevant to where my work is going. I’m not even sure. I manage this site all myself so it’s going to be small changes at a time. But I’m still here, and that’s what matters. We matter…all that we do, daily. Thank you for being here.
Cheers~
Amy
Walking, breathing and, "....blowing the stink off" things.
That was one of my late mothers sayings….”…go blow the stink off of you”. I know, conjures up some hilariously awful thoughts but, it’s based in some smart thinking about Cabin Fever. Get.out.side!!! Move the air around you and get some fresh air inside you. Breathe. Deeply. That’s it. Do it again. Keep doing it. See how good that feels? Yep, that’s the stuff. That’s what I’ve been able to do as the weather FINALLY shifted into Fall. Of course we had frost this morning so it’s moving fast, but I’m so ready as I know others are too. I’ll do this until I can’t for some reason. I’m making a promise to myself to move outside in some capacity as many days of the week as possible. The gym sucks. Yoga is a good deal but that’s inside now. Walking is the ticket and fresh air is my fuel.
Good thing because it’s a busy time of year! I’ve been fueled by a few things this past month thankfully. First by the amazing response I’ve had to the pre-order of 21 Secrets Paper,Glue,Scissor by everyone! Thank you again SO MUCH!!! The release date is Monday October 29th so we are counting down! But it’s available to pre-order anytime by clicking on the link above. I’m loving being able to interact with people who are ready to dive in on the FB feed. I’m preparing some goodies for people too and that’s fresh air has helped. Sitting outside the coffee shop with my ipad has proven quite productive. I have also been fueled by interest in my processes so I made a little tutorial for the Image Transfers I made in the last post. It’s just a handwritten breakdown that gives you a simple way of making them. If there’s more interest maybe I’ll turn this into an actually class with ideas about how to integrate them into your work.
I’m also REALLY fueled by some most excellent news! My 100 Day Project was chosen to be in a local exhibit called “Artists who Teach” at the Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria Campus Gallery. I’m thrilled that I finally get to share this body of work with a large audience who will be able to actually see them in person as they are all each their own little world. I’m in the process of creating a mounting system that will work for the space and it’s been pretty fun. I love problem solving such things because there really aren’t any rules & I can create whatever I want as long as the space can handle it. I’ll share the process here in depth soon but you can see glimpses on my IG feed. These works were my inspiration for the workshop I created in 21 Secrets this year and I’m thrilled at how things are all tying together. It’s pretty friggin’ awesome when that happens. Go find your fuel.
Image Transfers and cool weather, FINALLY!
The air is finally getting cool. Finally. It’s a welcome reprieve from a lot.of.hot.air swirling around everywhere. Everywhere. Yesterday and today it became overcast and cooler and I absolutely love it. I needed it. We all did. I know this season helps to ground me in a lot of ways. It’s my busy season with school starting but I’m learning to balance that with walks outside and quiet time making stuff. I think that balance is going to work well this year because it leaves space for spontaneous fun stuff!
Saturday morning have turned out being a main time for making time. I’ve managed to hone in on a good set up in my work space that definitely gets me pumped to get to it! So I have a bunch of different projects I’m lining up to work on this season and want to start sharing more and more. Today I tested some image transfers using pages from a magazine and packaging tape. I made a little video of the process for you! I will post what this turns into if anything in the coming days…I’m thinking a journal entry or journal cover…we shall see. All of this is getting me primed for the release of this years 21 Secrets Paper,Glue,Scissors on October 29th! (Click here to pre-order!!!) I’m hopeful to be able to connect with people on the FB page and see what everyone is up to! Until then, enjoy and find your balance this wknd. xo~
Things are HAPPENING!!!
YES! I can finally share the exciting news I’ve been keeping secret all summer! I am absolutely thrilled to be a guest artist in this years edition of 21 Secrets by Dirty Footprints Studios! This years theme is Paper, Glue, Scissors and I know already that it’s am amazing collection of talented artist sharing their passion and skills with you all to enjoy and learn from.
What is 21 Secrets? It’s an amazing collection of 21 self-guided thematic workshops presented by 21 different artist and teachers! All are collected together under one “Roof” at Dirty Footprints Studio and after purchasing you receive a downloadable e-book of all the instructions and links to all the videos too! While we all are here for the love of Art Journaling and Mixed Media, the diverse collection of artists gives 21 Secrets it’s special sauce! Lots to choose from, and I’m so happy to be a part of it!
In this years program I am teaching how I create my backgrounds or, “Visual Nests” that I use as backgrounds for my collages using paint, pens and other magical materials. I also give a tour of a few of my journals and talk about how the 100 Day Project inspired my lesson and continues to influence my current work.
This years program will go on sale officially on October 29th, BUT…with the link below starting TODAY 9/26/18 to FRIDAY ONLY 9/28/18 you can get the EARLY BIRD rate and save $10 of the full price of $128. Enter code EARLYBIRD at check out! So you could get all 21 lessons for $118 between TODAY and FRIDAY!!! If you would like to learn more please click on the big giant coupon link below for more info about this years 21 Secrets - Paper, Glue, Scissors!
Thank you SO MUCH for your support and interest in my work. This has been a goal of mine over the past few years to find a way to expand my reach as a teaching artist and I’m just so thrilled to finally be sharing it, and on my birthday no less! Best present ever.
Cheers! xo
~Amy
Wait,
...it's August?!?! Yeah, so I was supposed to have that sale a few months ago and TOTALLY CHOKED!!! Omg, you guys...I over shot as the school year started to totally kick my ass and it just never happened. Please forgive me. I am however doing a LOT of cool things this summer including an epic road trip that included NJ>MA>ACK>CT>NY that I want to share pics of with you here! Some of these are in my social media feeds but ALL of them have a purposeful messy watermark to discourage the flimflam who think they can pilfer artwork that is not their own. (Yeah, don't) I am really excited to share some new things I'm working on soon, as well as dusting off my Etsy store to make purchasing pieces a bit more streamlined. So keep an eye out here for updates..until then, here are some of my favorite shots from what has turned out to be a very cleansing reboot of a summer! xo~ Amy
Spring Cleaning~
As time has rolled on, and the year has turned, I'm refocusing my energy after a looooong rest. Life has thrown a lots of energy at all of us, ups and downs and in between. I've been trying to manage it all especially being a teacher in these times. In a word, it's been daunting. I'm not going to say I'm fine, because from day to day I'm really not. But that's when I turn to my art. I turn to my journals and to my camera and I release that which is eating at me. It works most of the time. For those really heavy times when, as a really sensitive person, I feel like I'm living in a rock tumbler, I have come to the final realization that I need to pull back and limit my time on-line and exposure to outside influences. That said, I have cut down on my tv (save movies or funny shows that cheer me up!) and my time on-line is now limited to certain times.
I have also been meditating. Daily. Like, for the past 41 days in a row. Some days it's in the car listening to a guided meditation that just calms my mind, other days it's straight up silence for 30 minutes. Period. I come home, I de-school, (read:change clothes, drink some water, light a candle or two, go to my room, turn on the salt lamp, queue up my timer and sit.) For years I've flitted in and out of meditation and yoga, too. But sometimes, that which we are supposed to do, that which is there waiting for us get's impatient. The biggest changes in my life have occurred not with me waking up one day going, "I think I'm going to finally commit to THIS!" and then I start doing it. Nah. I don't work that way. Pretty stubborn. Very much addicted to my habits and procrastination. No, what happens is I get a metaphorical plank to the head, like the old V-8 commercials where they bonk themselves on the noggin'! (yes, I'm that old!) That's how big change happens for me. Pretty abrupt because the Universe is like, HEY AME!!! YO!!! So...yeah. I'm listening now. That said, I'm shoring up some old work and as I contemplate the new.
Wait, it's March already? Yeah, it's like..the middle of March.
That means, the 100 Day Project starts AGAIN NEXT MONTH!!!
Whoah!
I'm doing it again. I don't know what I'm doing yet, but you'll all know! Stay tuned!
In honor of the next 100 Day Project I'm putting all the remaining prints from the first run on SALE!!! for $8 each. I'm reposting the gallery HERE and linking my INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK pages to the gallery so you can scroll thru to see which ones are available. I'm running this sale thru April 1st and just like before you can order prints by sending me a message on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM or thru old fashioned email! Easy! This sale will support me continuing the next #100dayproject and will fund my plans of putting all these prints into a book format!!! (yes, it would be for sale!!!)
I'll be posting other work up for sale too in the coming months too. Thank you all for your unbelievable support! I'm so thrilled when my work resonates and speaks to people. That's all any artist can ask for!
Cheers!
Amy
A little renovation and mail call~
So, the prints arrived yesterday hot off the press from my favorite photo print company, Artifact Uprising. I've done several projects with them and they just have it down. Clean interface, easy uploads, quick delivery and a quality product. I'm really psyched to have these beauties in my hand because frankly, you just never know what's going to happen when you press, "SEND".
Now that the prints have arrived I'll be able to send them just after the holiday. I've also revamped the galleries below into a grid for easier viewing, AND...so that as these are purchased I can mark how many are left! (I know there's a few already down to 1, WOw! :) I love the way these look in a grid and this is also a nice way to see how they would look together.
I plan to keep taking orders until I'm wiped out well beyond the end of this week so don't hesitate to contact me if you're interested! NOTE: If you feel more comfortable e-mailing me directly that is wonderful!!! I'm at obscuragirl@gmail.com. Hit me up ANYTIME!!!
I'm going to meet with old friends tonight to celebrate a 50th birthday. Time is precious, folks...take time out to take the deep breathes, hug your loved ones, and dream a little. (Or a lot!) Happy Friday~
xo, Amy
Almost there!!!
Here are the remaining 50 days~!
So excited to share these with everyone and so appreciate all of your support and interest in this body of work. It's been a very healing undertaking over a very intense year. I think these were a way for me to refocus so much built up stuff into something positive. And it worked. My focus has shifted and my ideas about my work have also expanded in a positive way that isn't overwhelming....and that feels good!
So tomorrow, at 11am I will start to take pre-orders. The prints will be 5"x5" on quality card stock and will be $10 each with a discount if you buy 3 or more.
Thanks everyone!~ See you tomorrow!!! xo~
The Prints are coming, the Prints are coming!
I've been working steadily on getting these pieces, scanned, cropped and uploaded so I can make reproductions. I'm so thrilled that they resonated with so many of you and can't wait to get them to you! I have lots of plans for this body of work, but I'm starting with a limited edition run of 3 each. If you would like to purchase one or many, PM me through Instagram or Facebook Messenger and I will get you the details and a little note from Paypal!
Until then, here's a slideshow of the first 50 images. Reproductions will be 5"x 5" photo prints on nice card stock. They will be $10 each with a discount for purchases of 5 or more. (Like, you'll get one free!)
I'm so thrilled this is resonating with people! Stay tuned, and get ready to rumble next week!!!
It's October already?
I've been saying this for 23 days.... :) But I love this month for so many reasons including the energy I get from the change in the air, it's invigorating to me. Now that the school year has started and I've got my sea legs back I can get back to this project and make some reproductions to share with everyone and research locations for an exhibition. I know I went radio silent for a while after I finished, but the timing was serendipitous. (Prepare for personal overshare!) I finished this project on April 11, 2017 which was also the same day I was undergoing a hysterectomy. It was the best decision ever as I feel fantastic now a little over 3 months post-op and am gaining more and more energy everyday. I am forever thankful for the support I received & it was perfect timing having the summer to recover. The timing of this project ending on the day of surgery was the Universe's way to say to me, "Amy, ya done good! Now it's time to take a break, rest your body and soul and heal. Which is exactly what I did this summer. It was hectic at times but the overall goal of recovering was accomplished, and then some. I am so thankful I had the time and the support to really and truly take care of myself, a fact I do not take for granted. (Family and friends, you know who you are! <3) That's why revisiting these 100 pieces now as the year is coming to a close seems like the right decision.
Over the next few weeks I'm going to repost all 100 images in groups on my Facebook and Instagram feeds. I look forward to rereading the quotes and seeing how they feel at this time in the year. You're comments are welcome and so appreciated! I felt like this body of work really connected with people and I'm so thankful for all the support I got while doing it.
So......because you guys are amazing I'm getting thing lined up to have reproductions available for purchase as well as polishing up my Etsy Shop. Very exciting!
I am also shopping around for the means to reproduce all 100 images into a small book that would also be available to order. I'll be posting mostly on my social media and saving this space for content and videos of my process that are brewing. Stay tuned and thanks for being here!
Day 55
I can't believe I'm more than half way through!!! This is todays image and I'm kind of in love with it. I've been wanting to play with multiple exposures with self-portraits for the photos that are subtle but I'm getting ahead of myself! That's what this project has done...it's ignited something. I'm doing it again. Working. Creating. Seeing. And it's natural. That is the biggest piece. I'm not planning anything, I'm not worrying either. The parameters that I've given myself are to work on a 6"x6" piece of Bristol with a limited palette of black, white and metallic paints & pencils, an original photo, the typed quote & and wax paper collage material. I've integrated color with some paints the photos, with painted wax paper and with other metallic materials but it's been pretty easy to stay true to the plan. Mainly because within them I have actually found tremendous freedom. I am finding so many possibilities within a perceived limitation and that's major. I always thought I had to know about all the processes that were out there as an art educator. But all that misconception has done is get me on the Jack of All Trades Master Of None train...which I'm ready to get off of. I've finally found a process that is merging all of my favorites together and it's working. the fact that this work is also pouring out of me with less effort than cooking dinner is also a sign that it is time to make. Time to take all that I'm feeling and all that I've been through and let it rip. Let it inform all the imagery. Because that's what it does. All my experiences are connected to me by a thread...one tethers me to my past and one pull me towards my future. And the best way I know how to process them all is to communicate through these images. They are my language. The lines and marks I make denote that thread. It really connects us all.
25 Days
1st 25 of The 100 Day Project
So. I'm going to share a lot about my artwork and job and grief here. Because that's what I've been living through for the past year and a half so that's what I know to write about. It's a wonky crooked path that has brought me all over the emotional map. Sorry ahead of time. What I want to do mostly, is make connections with how creating artwork has helped me through my grief. So has making and playing with slime, but I'll get to that later. Here goes.
Before my mother got sick and life flipped on it's head, my own personal art production had diminished as a result of major changes with my job. The pace of teaching affected my energy and motivation as had the natural changes that come along with age. And since my job was my life, it had an effect on just about everything. As I look back at the pace I kept I am realizing how I created and instead of having a practice I had an assembly line. I was churning out work that was informed by research for my job. It was a synchronous relationship and it worked really well. Until it didn't. This feedback loop that a lot of teachers thrive on was interrupted by extra non-creative stuff that pulled on the amount of bandwidth I had. It was a change I didn't see coming and resented fully upon arrival! Yeah, I don't handle change well.
Cut to today. I had the 100 Day Project on my radar along with many, many other projects, classes, workshops and FB groups all of which were well intended to restart my creativity. I am really good at collecting (read:hoard) resources. Just not so great at choosing and sticking to one. I did know that I was struggling with how to create again and tap into any energy that inspired me. Work was draining & I had difficulty taking photographs for a while after losing my mom. It was too close. I am dipping a toe back into my photography slowly...but what until then? How could I communicate all that I was feeling, which was a lot. I'm not an illustrator or a traditional painter. My computer skills are rusty as I fumble through Illustrator after not teaching it for years. But I do draw, I layer, I glue. I mix things around and don't care about the mess. I love order amid chaos and the nuance texture creates. So, I have finally embraced that I am a Mixed Media Artist. I integrate my photography in every piece I do but I am not limited to just photography. And it feels so good. So this project really, it found me. I am posting here the 1st 25 images that I've completed as they were photographed with my iphone right after completion. Fresh off the press. I hope that you enjoy my sharing of this process as I plan to post individual pieces that have particular meaning. I've taken notes most days about what I've discovered that I can't wait to share with you. It's amazing to be in this place creatively, FINALLY!!! I'm learning a language that only I speak and it's taking my breath away. Thank for joining the class! Cheers, friends~
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