Today feels a little like the day we take down the Christmas tree and put the decorations away.
I used to watch my Mom do this as a kid. I always thought it would be a sad day. Now I find it pleasing – a way to reorder and to move on the next thing.
This weekend I exhibited at a local art event sponsored by the Guild of DeLand Museum of Art. (It was a GREAT day. Perfect weather. Wonderful to talk to patrons face-to=face after a year. And especially nice that several blog readers made a special point to stop by for a visit. THANK-YOU!)
Spending the day talking with people interested in art is very inspiring. When I explain what I create to others, I understand it better myself.
Here’s my set-up at the Garden Art Event. It was a beautiful setting in a nursery. I thought looking through the palm fronds was a perfect shot!
Even a one-day event like this takes a lot of prep energy beforehand. I made some new work. I got existing work ready to be hung. I did some marketing. I packed the car. I went through the checklists. All the stuff you do.
After the event we packed it all up again, drove home and took most of the things out of the car. I spent some time in the studio this morning getting it all put away. AAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhh.
Now my studio is re-ordered and I am focusing on the next projects that interest me.
I generally keep focused on my main body of work. But, now and then, a short-term distraction is OK. I can switch mental gears. I may find some new ideas or perspectives during the project.
The experience is like what I’ve found in creating smaller, matted paper collaged works alongside larger quilts. Each informs the other some. It’s hard to maintain the energy and focus to make just large works that I consider my main body of art. But I would not be pleased with making only small works either.
So, going back and forth is artistically stimulating.
This morning I have just put a photo transfer in the soak bin to remove the paper. Here’s the image:
It’s part of a new work with a secret interior space motif. I now feel ready to dive into this one deeper.
In the process of prepping for last weekend’s event, I created some new smaller paper collages. If you’d like to take a look at all the current ones, they are on my website HERE
Thank you for reading. I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi
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