37 days to wake up

I had been blogging here about a year or so when I stumbled on Patti Digh's wonderful soulful blog: 37 DAYS. Patti posed this question on her blog: "What would you be doing today if you only had 37 days to live? The death of her stepfather just 37 days after being diagnosed with cancer woke Patti Digh up, scared her, and made her examine her own life..." One result was her blog--37 DAYS--where she has touched thousands of readers lives with her inspiring life stories---and recipes for "living without regrets, no matter how many days you have left."

Now Patti has created a book--LIFE IS A VERB--- from her many inspirational blog posts. In the process of writing and creating her book she also invited her blog readers to contribute the art work for the book. Inspired by an artist trading card that blog reader Donna B. Miller sent her--she posted an invitation on her blog for others to create art---in the same artist trading card format---for various essays in the book. She received over 120 pieces of art in 2 weeks.

I was one of those artists who responded to Patti's invitation and created 2 illustrations--which I am proud to say are in this book (pp. 22 & 49).

Rather than explain the images and words I used in these two illustrations---I am instead urging you to buy Patti's book--LIFE IS A VERB--- and read the two essays that these accompany. This is one book you will never be sorry you purchased--one you will want to read over and over and write in the margins and dog-ear as it accompanies you through your life. Thanks Patti! for such a wonderful gift to us all and for being you.

37 Days Art

Over on her blog 37 Days, Patti Digh sent out an invite to artists to illustrate some of the essays from her blog for her forthcoming book. If you have never read her blog---get right on over there and check it out! she has some of the best thoughtful and poetic essay writing on the web, in my opinion.

I decided to try this challenge (as she termed it) and she sent me this essay titled Just Wave to illustrate. She wanted the illustrations to be ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) in size--and we had to have 37 days and the name of the essay somewhere in the illustration.

I chose to make mine a mixed media piece--with my own drawing and artwork, and lace and sewing on the papers with my sewing machine.

I created the art for this essay, Just Wave, in a "creative frenzy"---I just started selecting images from my stash of papers and old sketches, and added lace and started sewing. I sewed on more layers, cut off parts and sewed more--- the piece basically grew as I made it. I did start with an image in my mind, but only a vague image---which included hands and a house---or the shape of a house. The bird is a photocopy of a small part of another painting I made---and I'm still not sure how the bird relates to this essay, but it fit with the art, so into the piece it went. I worked on this all day without stopping at all--even to eat--until it was done, and I was totally absorbed in the creative process the whole time---"in the zone" is how I think of this state. This is one of the highest pleasures for me--finding that creative zone--completely in the moment, creating one piece of art. So for me, most of the time---art making is more about the process than the end product. I found this essay an inspiration, and so slipped into the zone easily and the piece just formed without much real effort like sometimes happens in the studio--on a very good day.

I created a computer illustration for another of her essays the next day; I created this one totally on the computer and I never quite got into "the creative zone." Upon reflecting on the 2 very different creative processes, I began to wonder if I require working with more tactile materials than a computer to find that zone.

"New" Cards or Tags

These are my new business cards for my crafty endeavors---which I can also use as tags for my crafted items. I repurposed/refashioned/recycled an old deck of cards to make these card/tags. I printed the text on my computer, then sewed the printed text to the card with my machine, and used a hole punch to create a hole in the corner, where I added a piece of ribbon.

Hey! Don't forget to enter my drawing for a handmade postcard--just scroll down to see info about this drawing on November 1st! and leave me your e-mail to enter the drawing. I'm giving away 3 handmade unique one-of-a-kind postcards to three lucky winners!

Fabric Inchies!

My friend Kari--from Sitka, Alaska--came for a visit and to play in my studio---we made fabric INCHIES! only ours are "inchie +" because we made ours 1.5" x 1.5" ---instead of 1 inch by 1 inch---so we call them "inchie plus" or "plus size inchies" or just "PSI"....
These were a fun quick project---here are some of mine--or the ones I have finished so far...I'm planning to sew pinbacks on these---and presto! instant holiday gifts ;-)




For those who are wondering--an "inchie" is a 1" x1" (or 1.5" x 1.5") fiber square which you can embellish any way you want. This is great way to use up all those tiny bits of interesting fabrics and papers you just could not throw away. Then pull out your fun beads, buttons, and other trims and embellish away.



For great directions on how to make these--via the Quilting Arts Magazine website-- go here and scroll down--the directions area pdf file available for free.



Besides pins--I can think of so many other ways to use these---on a bag or purse as an accent, or even on a sweater. How about ear rings? or a colorful mobile to hang above a baby crib? they are fun to trade with other artists, also...anyone want to trade? just e-mail me.....

TODAYS QUOTE:

"The single clenched fist lifted and ready,
Or the open hand held out and waiting.
Choose:
For we meet by one or the other."
----Carl Sandburg

Intuitive Tarot

One year--when I was a college student (so awhile ago!) instead of doing homework, I spent one semester with a big stack of magazines, a glue stick, and 3" x 5" cards ---and cut and pasted and created this intuitive TAROT DECK. I created it intuitively, and when I "read" the cards---a do this intuitively. I just intuitively picked the words from the same large pile of magazines that I cut the images from--I think I cut out a pile of phrases that appealed to me, then cut out images that appealed to me, then just started putting them together. Once I made 52 cards, I laminated them. These are now getting old and worn, and I still occasionally take them out and lay them out to see what turns up....

I went through the deck and pulled some out....totally random....

(Seems the type might be a bit small to read in these scans----so the ones that are not readable--I have added the [unreadable] words underneath the cards.)

Top left says: increased critical attention Top right: unspoken truths were beneath the mask

Top left: it's your night to howl top right: a shift in the wind
Bottom left: radical new definitions bottom right: accept risk

Top left: tell the truth top right: the circle unbroken
bottom left: to know what is possible bottom right: the power of potential

Top left: could it really have been here all along?
Bottom right: the right to dare everything



Now--why am I left with the sense that these cards--picked at random--- are all about change? hmmmm...could be personal change, could be that we humans are on the verge--the cusp---of a large shift...what do you think?

Beaded ATC

Here is a beaded Artist Trading Card I made while visiting and playing a year or so ago (oh my! I think it was 2 years ago now--how time flies)--my friend Kari's wonderful fine art/craft studio in Sitka, Alaska. Kari & I planned a 3 day mini "artist retreat"--we asked her husband to take her kids camping and we just played and created in her studio for 3 days. Heaven! she has a huge fabric stash--an extra sewing machine--and the beader (me) learned she actually loved sewing.


This is the front of an ATC I call "Midnight Sun" in honor of Kari as dedicated Mother.


And here is the back, painted in guache.

Every time I talk to Kari--we say we need to do another mini artist retreat--I am sure hoping I can make it up to Sitka sometime in the next year to play with her.