Welcome to MissouriBendStudio!

This is an online journal of my artistic investigations and a way to communicate about my work, ideas, quandries and queries! I welcome comments and conversation and do hope you enjoy these musings. My artwork is available in my shop MissouriBendStudio on Etsy.com or on my website.

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Friday, August 3, 2012

Ledger Pages

I've got it....the answer to the vague question I wrote about early in the week. The notion that change was in the air, that the dailies were about to take some kind of turn, but I wasn't sure what that was. I'm always amazed how these ideas float to the surface, as if held underwater and yet by their own will, they slowly rise to the surface as if searching for air. One minute, still just a shadow barely visible beneath the surface and then...the gentle moment of breakthrough and the first breath where the idea is able to speak of its own accord: ledger pages.

It happened this morning as I was drinking my tea on the deck, vowing that I wasn't going to push myself too hard today on my day off. Once the breakthrough occurred, I realized all the little notions that had come together to help it to the surface. In the post last Monday I had talked about the need for a daily practice that honored the day, that marked its passage, that left a trace. And then there was the struggle of art vs. product and the need to make something visual, but not wanting to be too concerned about the weight of making "art" and yet, there is an Etsy shop dedicated these daily ventures
and so they must be something that communicates in some form, that might make a connection with someone who will want to invest a small sum to have it. And then there was Diana Behl, the artist featured in the Inspirations a few days ago.....and my favorite piece of hers always lurking in the recesses of my mind, and which I really must have....

Diana Behl

The ledger page represents an accounting, a balance sheet of the day....a record of the pluses and minuses, the events and non-events of a given day's business. In this case the practice of creating daily ledger pages builds a metaphoric record of the accumulation of my own history and the quiet passage of time.

Part of the problem of late is my inability to be able to set aside time each day to work on the drawings. I come home from work with my energy pretty well spent and mostly just want to sit with a glass of wine on the deck or front porch to unwind. I understand now that the daily ledger sheets will have to be made early in the morning and perhaps become an intuitive unveiling of the previous day. We're already getting up at 6:20 in the morning to do yoga (with our neighbor Sue and our favorite yoga DVDs with Jason Crandell or Rod Stryker) at 6:45. So, I'll just get up earlier and start with a ledger drawing to set the tone for the day. It clearly isn't working in the evening. This will take me back to my days years ago of rising early to do the morning pages exercise in the Artist's Way. You don't think you can get up a moment earlier, but you do and turns out your day unfolds with more energy and balance for having started with that practice of writing....in my case it will be something happening on a ledger page. Of course, I couldn't wait to get started, so I printed a couple pages from some online templates and spent a little time in the studio playing this morning. I think that when I list these in my shop, they will be featured more like a letter and I will mail them in a related hand-drawn envelope, rather than as a work of art to be framed. Still playing with that idea...

August 3, 2012

detail 1

detail 2

detail 3

Clearly the idea of the ledger drawings for the daily practice is informed by this latest body of work, Notes from the Ancestors. I have two new ones to show you, although they photographed poorly. The tones are much warmer in the actual pieces, as the beeswax gives the paper the color of butter, which is not so evident here. I'll have to rephotograph them before I post them on my website.

Notes from the Ancestors no.3

Notes from the Ancestors no.4

Enjoy your day, keep your eyes open.....you never know where your inspiration will be coming from.
Thanks for taking part in the saga of my "dailies"....see you in a few days!




14 comments:

  1. great idea! ledgers are soooo appropriate at this time in history, as well as being a personal accounting....

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    1. Thanks Margaret! I've always admired the ledger drawings done by Native Americans....I also like the idea of playing with the grid...we'll see where this takes me!

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  2. Lovely post -- I read it twice because it was so thoughtful! I love the idea of the ledger. Also your 'notes from ancestors' series is so evocative. Getting up early is often the best time to really think - before the cares of the day encroach, before you've made any human contact -- a time for reflection deep within yourself.

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    1. Penny....very sweet of you to have read this twice! Yes, I think getting up early will work pretty well for me. I'm a morning person anyway and like the quiet of the early hours. So glad you like the notes from the ancestors too!

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  3. Beautiful! I love this idea.
    You are right, you can always find the time to do the art if you really want to. For me it is evening, after I get home, rest and have dinner I go to work (play), yes, I want to stay resting, but once I get up and get started I am happy. Starting the day with art sounds wonderful too. Happy creating, these pieces are lovely. xoxo

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    1. Thanks for your encouragement Annie....always interesting how people find the time to be making. I do find usually that it energizes me to be in the studio....thanks for your kind words! Cheers!

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  4. Ledgers are such an interesting idea...something between a daily prayer and being accountable for how we affect the world. I'm excited for you to explore it! Good luck.

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    1. Hi Barbara....I love your analogy of the ledger pages between something between a daily prayer and a kind of accounting. I'm excited by this new exploration as well...thanks so much for your encouragement! Best wishes!

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  5. OH MY GOODNESS your pages are amazing! Your patience is amazing! and no. 3 & 4 are gorgeous! It's lovely how all this is working together. I am sooooo excited for you!

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    1. Carole....oh, you surprise me with your great enthusiasm! How delightful that this new work brings you such joy! Stay tuned and thank you so much for your wonderfully cheerful support!!
      Best to you!

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  6. so much to be exploding with joy over in this post! first the notes from ancestors pieces that i so adore! then, the emerging of the ledger concept! a journal page, meditation, and epistle of the day. the letter concept is especially appealing in that it under-emphasizes the product aspect of the dailies, while highlighting the attempt to commemorate the day, reaching out for meaning and human connection. that these will be received in a hand drawn envelope, 'read', pondered over, treasured by new and old friends near and far, is pure poetry. and cheers to waking up early to offer the most precious of times to the most important of things. it makes all of the difference, i've discovered.

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    1. Anca....so glad to hear your enthusiasm over these ledger pieces. I'm about to post the latest ones, but I haven't yet gotten envelopes, so that part isn't in place yet. I'm very happy to hear that you like the idea....sometimes we begin to doubt ourselves, so your positive input came just at the right time...many thanks!!

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  7. It's fascinating to read about your thought process and coming to this realisation - clarity of mind. I love it when that happens (seldom in my case). I'm really looking forward to what you will do with this as the early results look great. Your post has given me so much food for thought on how to engage with my own practice. Thank you so much for sharing.

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    1. Hi Hannah, thank you so much for your comment. It's always a joy to hear that my musings are meaningful to someone and that they even go as far as represent food for thought! I think creating a huge interior space allows you to hear yourself think, so depending on what's going on in your life, it may be more difficult to have the clarity....but one can always work to cultivate it! Thanks for taking time to comment here. Best wishes!

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I'm happy to hear from you...comments and questions are welcome!