Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Sunday, November 19, 2006
I have been creating one or more very small art quilts per week.
Intensive creating seems to feed itself! I read a story of a college ceramics teacher giving his students the option of being graded for quantity or quality. If the student chose quantity they were to turn in as many items as they could make during the semester. If the student chose quality they were to turn in one perfect, very best piece. The students who went for quality spent a lot of time planning and eventually started, started over, spent some more time planning... The other students just jumped in and got busy. The students who produced the most art made great strides in skill and personal style. I want to be that kind of artist!
Intensive creating seems to feed itself! I read a story of a college ceramics teacher giving his students the option of being graded for quantity or quality. If the student chose quantity they were to turn in as many items as they could make during the semester. If the student chose quality they were to turn in one perfect, very best piece. The students who went for quality spent a lot of time planning and eventually started, started over, spent some more time planning... The other students just jumped in and got busy. The students who produced the most art made great strides in skill and personal style. I want to be that kind of artist!
Friday, November 17, 2006
My cluttered, creative life seems out of hand at the moment! Ideas for projects are flying. I finished a fun book with lots of pockets, tags, and a festive pink quilted cover. I've made some simple and beautiful leather bound journals that just about sell themselves! And a jeans journal that I want to keep for myself but will probably sell or give away after I make another one. I have recovered an old Bible for a friend. It was not OLD old just the cover had come apart and now the usefulness, and beauty of this Bible has been restored! I used grey suede leather.
I don't know how other creative people work but I work in spirals! I start several projects, leave them sitting out as I mull over the next step, working on other projects until the solution "comes to me." When I was younger this resulted in lots of unfinished projects because I had to put things up till another time and later wanted to do something else. Too much time elapsed between creative sessions to maintain momentum on any but a few. I did finish some art projects but had to learn to bite off smaller bites: knit socks instead of sweaters, post card sized watercolor paintings, tiny dolls ...
I usually do some large paintings in the summer when I am sure to be able to finish. But usually now I find that small projects are my favorites! I want to do art EVERYDAY! And I do!
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