So, it's taken me a long time to get anything done this week and I'm not sure why. I've worked on several pieces, all but abandoning them three quarters of the way through. And here's another one that has taken quite a bit of time. It's calling itself Page From The Book of Open Windows and I've been working on it diligently, sewing tiny stitches, as you can see in the botton photo....but I'm at the critical stage now of needing to create something askew...something to take it off someplace much more interesting. I was just about to say I'd sleep on it one more night and then, uh oh...I turned it over...now THAT (top photo) I find ever so much more interesting. It's random and accidental and uncontrolled...and it brings up that age-old conundrum. You can't plan the random...if you plan it, it ends up being controlled and loses its life force. Isn't it like the whole notion of being "in the moment"...once you become aware that you're "in the moment", you are no longer really "in the moment"...
So now I have to trick myself. Because this is another piece that is a "book page", there's no reason that both sides aren't part of the piece...so I guess I just keep working on the front and try to give it the zest it needs, being very careful not to think about the back....OR, perhaps I work on the back and in turning my back on the front, the random quality will happen naturally on the "front". If you can follow that, you're much more awake than I am.
It's late and I still need to get in some banjo practice or I'll never move beyond the beginning beginner stage! Have a great weekend everyone!
I too, often find the part of my work that is very interesting, is the bit I didn't expect to be! But this is exciting. I like what you've done and I always think by 'doing' something, it always inevitably leads to somewhere . . . . hopefully interesting at some stage!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments over at mine and I hope you have a fab weekend too :)
Amelia.x
Hah! Before I read to the end of your post, I thought about the images - that second one is lovely, but I REALLY like the first! It has such wild life to it. I know exactly what you mean about the madness of knowing things have to happen at random, and then trying to trick yourself out of that knowledge because it inhibits the randomness!
ReplyDeleteDid you say banjo?
Thanks for your comment Amelia...the process always leads somewhere, as you say, and the trick is to stay out of the way as much as possible. Nice to see you here!
ReplyDeleteTwo Tigers...let's just see if I can trick myself as I continue on this piece! The work I love most is full of surpise marks, randomness and the unexpected. Not that I don't love and appreciate really fine and careful workmanship...but in the making, there has to be some veering off course...perhaps I should wear a blindfold, LOL!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I did say banjo. John and I are teaching ourselves (I'm not such a good student) clawhammer banjo. Neither of us have a musical background to speak of and it's a challenge, to be sure!