Studio Sunday-A Birthday Gift

Birthday flowers for a friend are a warm up for my Books in Bloom arrangement that will have multiple small narrow vases and a quote from An Island Garden by Celia Thaxter on paper.

Challenge Day 2

More calligraphy: As I continued, I started to become more interested in experimenting with the letters, working more loosely, and using quotes rather than poems and passages. These are from an exhibit I had at the Concord Free Library in Concord, MA with quotes by Concord authors. In preparing for the latest version of my Art Lessons talk, I realized that this was a pivotal collection of work. It was the first time I did a series on a common theme and I liked working in a series but realized I was not satisfied doing work that was interpretive. I wanted to do something that came completely (or as completely as anything can) from within.

The Sculptor by Scott McCloud

This is a truly beautiful book. I was familiar with Scott McCloud from his books Understanding Comics, Reinventing Comics, and Making Comics and immediately sought out his new book, The Sculptor, at the library when I saw an ad for it in the NY Times Book Review. All I knew about it when it started that it was about a sculptor and Neil Gaiman said it was "The best graphic novel I've read in years." I'm going to be very brief in my description as I loved the way book swept me up and surprised me and hope it can do the same for you. What initially attracted me was the theme of an artist's work and the question: how important is it to you to have your work seen and what price will you pay for it?

It is also a story of youth (one's twenties are now one's youth for me), love and loss. I've read it twice and will probably read it one more time before I return it. The first time I was pulled along by the force of the story; the second time I savored the details and the images. Although I wrote in Art Lessons, "If we love the work for itself more than for the result, we will find a way," I've done my fair share of struggling with the issues of getting my work out into the world. I can't say that The Sculptor gave me answers but some part of me felt changed by the experience of reading it. I try to approach my work with the most open spirit that I can. When I am alone working in the studio, I feel free. When I am dealing with the various aspects of getting my work out into the world or drift to thinking about opportunities I wish I had, I sometimes feel a knot of hardness in my heart. Thanks to Scott McCloud, it is now a little smaller.

Studio Sunday-Back Door View

Last night brought only a couple of inches and it is warmer today but we still have lots of snow.

Facebook Challenge Day 1

There has been an art challenge making its way around facebook. You get nominated, you post 3 images of your work each day for 5 days, and each day you nominate someone else. I was nominated by Trish Johnston and took the opportunity to look back at my work over the years starting with calligraphy. I found it instructive and enjoyable. I thought I'd also share it here on the blog. I'll be posting Day 1 today and continue with the rest for the next 4 Saturdays. That will bring us into spring!

I'm starting with some calligraphic work from the early 1980s. My initial attraction to calligraphy was as a way to interact with words I loved without the analysis that had been required as an English Lit major. Work here is 1) Michel de Montaigne 2) Christina Rossetti (with border lifted from William Morris) 3) Seamus Heaney. The Heaney piece was one of the few I did with ink ground from an ink stick. Mostly I like the immediacy of ink from a bottle.

Book Arts Tuesday-Spirit Book #82

It's nice to spend these cold winter nights stitching a new Spirit Book. This is number 82 and will be one of 4 new ones that be in my exhibition at Remis Gallery at the Governors Academy in Byfield, MA in April. I save box lids for holding the beads, needles, and scissors that I need when I am working while semi-stretched out on the couch.

Following is a view of the cradle that came from a friend's garden.

Studio Sunday-Window Love

The last of the valentine love images for this year looking out a studio window.