Thursday, April 26, 2012

Sustainability

I had been thinking about writing this post and the direction my thoughts have been taking lately when I came across this blog entry: Susie McMahon Dolls: Anti-profligacy. You may remember my blog entry about sustainability: "Goals." Susie's concern about "endlessly unlimited growth on a finite planet " speaks to my focus here. The fact that I now know I am not the only one thinking about how to address those concerns right now is one of those serendipitous moments. While I don't expect to become self-sufficient, I am striving toward living a simpler existence.

I have been busy contemplating my next project, but I've also been trying to weed out the clutter that accumulated since I started working the day job. In the process, I came across an article about a quilt made by Valli Schiller called Common Threads. On it she put a saying that was popular either in the Great Depression or WWII: "Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do or do without." She could remember her grandmother saying it all the time. I remember mine doing the same. One thing that Valli said about the materials in the quilt was that her grandmother "repurposed, and I wanted to as well." This was important to me because I have been thinking of recycled, upcycled, and organic materials as the only "legitimate" sustainable materials. It finally hit me that using up material I had previously purchased was also okay.

I have taken another step forward in my quest to decide exactly what I want to do with my art and my life, which feels good. Simultaneously, I know I am not quite there yet, and hope you will bear with me.

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.


Monday, April 16, 2012

Possibilities

This spring has been quite unusual, but that has helped to provide some inspiration. For example, there has been quite a lot of this


and this


and a little bit of these



Altogether, they are enough to send my brain running after possibilities to draw, paint, stitch, and shape. At the same time, I am feeling really grateful for posts like Claudine Hellmuth's Finding Your Artistic Style, because I am in need of a lot of patience with myself. Sorting out a new career and artistic voice take time.

When I returned to college (what seems like eons ago), I didn't expect to have a degree within six months or a year. I am finding I need to cut myself some slack on learning about what has changed in technique and business since I last was a full-time artist (before I went back to college). Simultaneously, I also need to be open to a variety of possibilities. All this is to say that, while I would love to be ready to open shop sooner rather than later, the reality is that I may have to spend more time exploring first and give myself permission to do that.

In this season of new things and possibilities, I wish you time and permission to explore your talents and interests. Enjoy!


Monday, April 2, 2012

Moving Forward

As I mentioned in my post on Hopes vs. Goals, I wanted to develop some prototypes for products. In thinking about things I could put in an Etsy shop, one possibility that occurred to me was specialty pincushions. In February, I mentioned I was working on a pattern. It is finally finished. Given my fascination with butterflies, it seemed only logical to make this first one a butterfly. The pincushion is about 5" square.


I would really value some input from the community. Would you please leave me a comment letting me know what you think?