the next 13 weeks...FELTING

Finally, after 3 months I was able to attend to the cleaning up of my studio. It was a mess, so it was easy to tidy. The papers everywhere situation has been delaying my clean-up; I have wanted to sort images and pattern and types of paper. But I have been reluctant to begin this big reorganization. I finally realized that perhaps I am not yet ready to do so: not sure how to organize. So, I just tucked papers away in drawers and VOILA! they are off the work table! I still have several projects around the table: Wooden bases for mirrors - a metal embossing project of which I have completed one fabulous mirror! Misc. chaff all over.

Anyway, the cleaning up has begun enough to start my newest infatuation: wet felting. I have 2 new books: UNIQUELY FELT, by Christine White and EMBELLISH, STITCH, FELT by Sheila Smith. Both books have inspired me AND given me the tools I need to explore the medium of felting more intensely. I have begun at the beginning of Christine White's book with experimentation and simple projects: cording, nuno felting, felted balls. Wet felting is hard on my back, even tho I am trying to be correct in my posture.
But, I am so thrilled with the materials and the results, I can't wait to try the next "thing"!

To add to the studio clean-up, I have managed to, finally, clean out some cabinets downstairs that began as my first storage space for my artistic endeavors with my children and myself. I was cleaning up to ready for my youngest daughter's visit, when I just decided to JUST DO IT. 3 hours later, the garbage and recycling bins were filled up and a new pile of materials were added to my studio. Of course, these are still in boxes, bags, etc., on the studio floor. But, I am so happy to have accomplished the big clean out.

This does seem to be the year of cleaning out old stuff...what do i really need to save? After over 20 years in a house, all the small objects and piles that are saved and hidden in drawers need to be cleared out to make way for the new!

the first day of the last month of the year

Time goes faster and faster, spinning us throught the universe at a dizzying clip! I work on this and that, and the day is done!

Time slows down when I watch the entertaining show of squirrels, birds, dogs, and cats outside my office window. This small corner of the yard is a vortex, drawing in all nearby animals.

Time becomes suspended when creating art. No-time. An altered reality. These times also become part of my spiritual practice. Now that is a revelation!

I haven't been in the studio for 2 weeks, although I have done some felting in the house. I am longing to go out and work/clean up after my 2 week avoidance. Perhaps not so much an avoidance, as a change in priorities. I find myself drawn to work in the studio and totally disregard other responsibilities. So sometimes I choose to go that direction, then I follow up with a period of catching up on eBay, cleaning, etsy, friends and family. Although, I must say that if my daughter or granddaughter are around or need/want me to be with them, that usually is my priority. I also like to feed my husband John well after he returns from a day at work, bringing home the bacon.

I hope to make room in the studio for work on Ribbon Angels. And perhaps, also do a bit of wire bending in 3D.

In love and light.
lisa

A Messy Studio

Sometimes the studio work is organizing and TIDYING. I tend to be very messy when I work. When I run out of room, I clean up. As I prepare for a craft show, the studio becomes chaotic. I work on many projects at once. I was hoping to make some more metal embossed mirrors, more felted Santas, more hair clips (to finish), and some cards. Pam has asked me to help with the awards for the Lodi Art Center's Small Works Show; we like to make wonderful small "ribbons"/awards for this show. This year we are going to make wired awards. I made a few prototypes this morning. We are hoping to work on them tomorrow. Wednesday through Sunday, we will be having guests and doing some visiting. I will be attempting to continue work on the above projects when I can.

Today I must also do some house cleaning-aargh!!!

a beautiful fall day

cool morning. a perfect day for working and feeling the sun.

i am readying for the studio tour. began to set up outdoor tables and think about layout. because i love to move furniture so much (really), i want to change my studio around a bit. first, i am going around the room discarding, sweeping, finding new homes for stray items. it seems there is always piles of unfinished projects - not necessarily a bad thing, but seeing the same old projects unfinished can be demoralizing or a call to action. i did finish a wind chimes that i began when i first started fusing glass; completed it and hung it up! that really juices me up!

i'm ready for more!

finished another knitted wire band. also managed to crochet a bit of wire, just simply, as well. want to create a piece with these, but no ideas yet...

In the groove

so good to be home and working in the studio. most of my masks are faces only, no hair, etc. so i have been re-examining them to see which ones need tweaking. the garden goddess has received green wool felted hair. i am happy with the result (i think). she needed some softening. i have a tendency to keep on embellishing, overworking- not knowing when to stop. it is a difficult balance to achieve: just enough, but not too much.

“There’s no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves”

Frank Herbert

(American science fiction Author and Writer 1920-1986)

i believe this is week 7

my trip to chicago interrupted week 6. my intention was to zentangle myself silly. however, not much time was devoted to drawing. i have posted my meager efforts. it is different working out of one's home environment. disciplin becomes much more important: setting up a time and a place to work.

this week i will be finishing up masks, labels, etc for my solo mask show october 2-31 at Hutchins Street Square in Lodi, California. The reception is on October 2 from 5:30 -8:30pm- with wine, music, and friends.

my theme for this week will be felting- i will work on creating a few atcs, and finishing up some hair clips, brooches, and perhaps fashion a felt mask of mira's lovely face!

i am flexible with my themes. what i work on is affected by what is going on in my life, not just a projected creative work flow. hence, since i need to work on felting projects, that is what i shall work on! i am happy as long as i am creating, experimenting, and learning.

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
- Ursula Le Guin

clean up /finishing day

when i am in between projects, cleaning my studio clears my head. my work space becomes very chaotic which is fine when i'm in the midst of the chaos. but when i am not involved in a bunch of projects, i look at the wonderful mess and feel the urge to tidy up. clean up and create some space for new ideas. it's a matter of the physics principle of entropy:

from Wikipedia - "Entropy has often been loosely associated with the amount of order, disorder and/or chaos in a thermodynamic system . The traditional qualitative description of entropy is that it refers to changes in the status quo of the system and is a measure of "molecular disorder" and the amount of wasted energy in a dynamical energy transformation from one state or form to another.

"In Greek myth, Chaos is the original dark void from which everything else appeared. According to Hesiod's Theogony (the origin of the gods), Chaos was the nothingness out of which the first objects of existence appeared. In a similar way, the book of Genesis in the Bible refers to the earliest conditions of the Earth as "without form, and void."

Out of the disordered, dark state of chaos comes everything! That's my story and i'm stickin' to it!