another postcard

Here is another of my altered postcards from today. Of all the vintage postcards I've collected, this is one of my favorites. I only use photocopies of the original; I just can't bring myself to alter an original. It breaks my heart that there is a family out there somewhere without this picture of their great-grandmother or father; I can't destroy the original.

A Day in the Studio

Not a terribly productive day in the studio--I've been working on a small collection of altered postcards, adding acrylic paint, pieces of pages of vintage books, copies of people's pictures from old cabinet cards and some rubber stamping. Lots of fun, this was inspired by Try It Tuesday's last tutorial. I've done inkjet transparency transfers before, but I'd forgotten how much I love the imperfection of the resulting image. I feel bad that this hasn't been a terribly productive day, but I guess that has to be okay--I can't just produce on demand, and the biggest point is to be here and keep working. I sold "Road to the Beach" a couple of nights ago, so I have to say goodbye to that piece. One of my goals is to become less attached to my projects. I have to be willing to let them go and share them with other people.

New Art Quilts

Worked on two little art quilts this weekend, both in an abstract or geometric style, and I really like how they turned out. I love using batik fabrics. The colors and patterns really appeal to me. I especially liked the vermicelli quilting on Heads and Tails. I thought about doing the same to Argyle Dance, but didn't really think it needed it. Harlequin patterns are always pleasing.

Argyle Dance

This one's Argyle Dance.

originality in art

To continue with my thoughts from yesterday:

So what is the meaning of originality? Last night I got out Sarah ban Breathnach's Something More. It's one of those wonderful books that I can simply flip open anywhere and find something that applies to my current situation (most books are like that, actually--try it sometime, and really pay attention! It may be only a phrase, but the message is there. The Creator is always talking to us.)

In Something More, Sarah talks about 'excavating your True Self,' and I believe that this concept is at the root of originality. A person who shouts "I am original, look at me! Look at how I dress! Look at my hair! Look at my art! Read what I've written! See how original and different I am!" misses the whole point. True originality simply glows; there's no need to shout about it.

When my husband was coaching girls' basketball, I got a first-hand look at what our society does to originals. We would meet a little girl, maybe nine or ten, and she absolutely shone with her own power and enthusiasm. "I love basketball! I'm going to play for you when I get to the high school! I can't wait! " Little girls sweep you away with their pure, potent personality. Four years later, when I saw that same little girl at high school age, I wanted to cry because she had changed so much; in the place of that enthusiastic ball of energy I would find an apologetic creature full of self-doubt.

Most of us (and believe me, I include myself) have buried our True Selves beneath layers of what we think the world expects of us. It's a daunting task to rediscover the things that make us glow, that bring us immense joy, that make us truly ourselves. I know that I am only now beginning to follow my instincts. I have trouble even hearing the voice of my heart that was so strong when I was four or five or ten.

But when I can hear that voice; when I can follow its direction--then I am becoming more myself, more original. The joy that walks hand in hand with that type of originality is reward all its own--I don't need to shout about it.

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and now, some thoughts about originality...

During the past week, as I've been making ATCs and art quilts and doing photography at a fiftieth wedding anniversary, and painting and writing and making collages, I seem also to have been doing some deep thinking. For some reason, at forty-two, I seem to be circling around and around this topic of originality--perhaps because I've been struggling with a sort of minor artist's block? Or perhaps because I'm at some kind of turning point in my work? I don't know, but it's definitely been on my mind--both originality and its evil twin, cliche.

As a small child, being original never crossed my mind. By virtue of simply being a child, everything I did was original. Even when I tried to play the same made-up story as the day before, it changed and morphed and became something totally new... As far as other people went--when I loved a book, I wanted the author (or someone!) to write another book just like it, right away... When I loved a picture of a horse, I would gladly have looked at forty more, just like it. As a little girl, originality in myself or other people was never an issue.

Of course, by the time I reached junior high school I had become a good little people-pleasing conformist. If the teacher wanted something done a certain way, I did it to the nth degree. Conformity and hard work, combined, makes for immense success in the public school system.

In college and while I was teaching, I saw so many young people who desperately wanted to be different--and to satisfy that craving, they dressed and coifed themselves in outlandish ways--just like twenty of their closest friends did... It struck me then (and still does) that in our society, we somehow miss the whole meaning and intent of originality.

I like this stuff

Met artist Steven Lewis this weekend, and I really like what I've seen of his work--my only complaint is that I'd like to be able to see more up-close-detail on his website--but go check him out:

http://sdlarts.tripod.com/

Been thinking a lot about the whole "doing art" thing--My guess is that most artists do art because they must do art--there's an element of compulsion there--

Another guess (based loosely on my own experience) is that there are many, many more artists out there who smother the compulsion to create and pay the price for thwarting that need--I know how much I struggle when I haven't allowed myself any creative outlet for a while...

thoughts on art

Worked on this little quilt during the evenings this week--sitting in the dim light while my six-year-old fell asleep, stitching silently and thoughtfully--I think that what I may love the best about hand stitching (and I do love it) is the zen-like thoughtful- ness that I can put into each stitch. More than anything else I do, stitching puts me into that realm where I am both most me, and least full of myself...


If thou coulds't empty all thyself of self,
Like to a shell dishabited,
Then He might find thee on the ocean shelf
And say, "This is not dead,"
And fill thee with Himself, instead.

But thou art all replete with very thou,
And hast such shrewd activity,
That when He comes He says, "This is enow
Unto itself--'twere better let it be,
It is so small and full, there is no room for Me."

--Sir Thomas Browne

Art does this for me--it takes me out of myself in a way that lets in what is most True and Holy and Creative. I know, when I do my best work, that it is not really my work at all, but simply the Creativity of the Universe coming through. Sounds all high-falutin', I know, but that's the truth of it. My job, as artist, is just get out of the way.