The Experimental Stage

Hi everyone....sorry for the late start to posting for the week. I prefer to greet you on Monday and here it is Tuesday evening already! Partly, I've been trying to get these new little "somethings" to a stage where I could show them to you. First, to show you how I made the jump to the new works, which I'll show you in a moment, you need to see the inspiration....one of the newest pieces from the MissouriBendStudio shop, which I posted here at the end of last week.

Navigation Chart

As I was making Navigation Chart, adding this and that, going further out from the center, I began to realize it was that center section that was "the thing".  What I really wanted to see were irregular round shapes that would hang on the wall on their own or in a grouping.  So....I began to play, which was quite fun.  Here are a few of the new pieces, but I still think they are on the way to something else....

Today was a terrible day for photographing anything....a milky white pallor to the sky as it rained all day, never quite turning to snow or ice, thank goodness.  Anyway, I found myself hand stitching a beeswaxed center drawing fragment to another unwaxed paper and then stitching that to something slightly larger, etc. etc.  I haven't been able to quite figure out how they hang, but have added a string of beads to most of them....but, that's just it.....I'm trying too hard to figure these out and not listening closely enough to hear them tell me what they want to be. All the while I've been referring to them as badges, but badges for what?  I want them to be about something....I don't want to just make more stuff....but their tie to a layer of meaning is still eluding me. However, they are a delightful joy to make and each one sits just so nicely in my hand while I'm stitching.  I kept thinking it would be faster and more efficient to stitch them up lickety-split with the sewing machine, but the hand stitched mark seems to have more to say. I'm adding these to the MissouriBendStudio shop, but may need to rephotograph them first.  I'll keep you posted....but let me just ask....are these badges?  If not, what are they?  If you have any insights....I'd be pleased to hear!

And of course, the daily proceedings continue on teabag clad paper....to see details and other views of these pieces, be sure to head over to MissouriBendMusings!

February 28 2012

February 27, 2012

February 26, 2012

February 25, 2012

It's nearly time for the end-of-the-month Inspirations post....a loosely constructed interview with an artist that inspires me....stay tuned in the next day or so!!  Still a secret....

Cheers!