Everything I do seems to ultimately lead me....

Everything I create in the studio seems to ultimately lead to the next thing. During the past few weeks while recovering from surgery I have spent several of my awake hours playing around in the studio. Some of the pieces have been crappy pieces. I am realizing now that it is still important that I do these because they may be helping me work through ideas. Perhaps if I didn't make the crappy pieces, I wouldn't be doing what I would consider strong pieces. I have been using stuff that would otherwise be thrown away, and I really like the idea of giving it a new life. I love it when I can have moments of fearless creating with no preconceived valuation for the final outcome.

A new life for an experimental painting session

Last week I surveyed my paints in the studio and found I had quite a variety of paints in various forms. I decided to get crazy with the paints creating textures with unconventional tools like old hotel key cards, old combs, and I smooshed and basically played to my heart's content making big sheets of expressive marks in a variety of palette combinations. The blues really came out very exciting. I chopped up the big sheets of painted backgrounds and this card was one of the results. Oh what fun is to be crazy with paint and tools.

Thank you cards

There is always a reason to send a thank you card. I like to do mine uniquely and creatively. Recently I had a commission for some and it got me started on recycling those little bits and pieces I had kicking around the studio. I make them smaller than my usual cards: 4.34 by 5.34 inches.

Experiment Plus Recycle

I am currently in greeting card making mode. After surgery I am tackling small commissions for original one of a kind cards, some of which are for the coming holiday season.

So where to begin was my thought. As I searched through my studio I encountered several experimental pieces. As a work of art they didn't quite make it. In my mind I either lost interest, failed to see a future in them or just felt ambivalent and needed to purge. But years ago my art teacher told me never to throw any artwork away because it stood a chance of being reworked, recycled, chopped up and reused in collage.

So that is what I did. I started by cutting up pieces of work into 4X6 pieces. And some pieces got chopped even smaller. There are so many ways to renew a piece of paper. This is the very essence of my passion for collage.

Anthropology

When I first graduated from college and got my bachelor's in education I was excited about having accomplished this goal. At the same time I was worried that my mind might turn to mush if I did not attend any more college classes. So after a 3 month tour of Europe which ended in Greece, I decided to take random classes of interest just for fun. Still one of my favorites was Anthropology 101. We studied African tribes and their customs. We explored communication of various cultures. Every once in awhile this interest in other cultures pops up in my collage work.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

THis is a tribute to my Mom. Here she is as I saw her in January with her great grandaughter, Zoe. I just love this photo. She probably would have an issue with her hair. But I see the beauty of the link between generations in their eyes.

I made my goal - 50 cards by Mothers Day

I worked daily to produce the cards for my goal of 50 by Mother's Day. I worked at 6 am on those days I worked. At 10 pm I would do a little prep work for next day's assembly. By morning the coated pieces would be dry enough to assemble into a card. And so the goal kept me focused. And when I presented the collection to my coworkers, they had this to say: "I can't decide, they're all so wonderful." Sometimes you just need to hear that from someone else. At the same time I was producing my cards, one of my coworkers e-mailed us and said she was raising funds to do the Avon walk for breast cancer. I offered to donate $1. for every card I sold. I hope it inspired some of my coworkers to choose a work of original art over a hallmark card. "Make it special, I said."

Inspired

Last weekend I took a workshop in embossed papermaking. It was a great opportunity to try something new. This card is made from the embossed paper I made. I like the texture that is so subtle.

Celebrate

With some true signs of spring in the Chicago area, I feel like celebrating. My goal of 50 flower inspired cards is getting closer to completion. I have 38 done. Setting goals really pushes you forward. Even with only smidgets of time I feel extra motivated to keep on going. The studio is a mess but I can still crank out some cards. Those remnants of old work can still be re-used, recycled or reworked and altered to a fresh look. I feel energized.

Musical Inspirations

Rolling along with the goal of 50

Not all my cards are collages. Sometimes I am in the mood for a spontaneous watercolor. Florals lend themselves to working in watercolor. I feel a sense of freedom when I paint in watercolors. There is never an intent to recreate a botanical image. The genus and species are yet unknown to man with the florals I paint.

Another recycled watercolor

More Cards for Mother's Day, Weddings, Etc.

Between Obligations

In recent weeks I have been creating Mother's Day cards of a floral nature between family obligations and work. The joy comes from taking old watercolor paintings, experiments etc and recycling them into another kind of art. Here is an example. I am hoping to have 50 cards done by the end of the month.

I really appreciate all the positive feedback. I feel blessed

I just had to share what a client wrote to me.
“I just saw the cards and they are absolutely gorgeous. What a talent you have! What beauty they represent. They are the best expression of Irish culture I think I've ever seen.”
M. Thomas