Sunday, November 18, 2012

Catching up with myself...

I went through a major rearranging at the studio.  It took me 3 days out of 2 weeks.  Then when I finished I went through a empty spell about creating anything.  After some days of just sitting, looking around, and wondering about nothing in particular, I decided to just do something...so I grabbed up the canvas scraps I graffiti-ed and started bead work on them.  Slow hand work is good for the soul.

I have at least 20 of these graffiti-ed canvas scraps.  It was my intent (there is that word again...intent, sighing) to get them finished for the small art show/everything under 100 at The Kore Gallery.  But if I get 5 of them completed I'll be happy...this is the first one you see above.  After I started beading on the second one, up jumped the mojo, I went to work quilting this...

Between the jockey and my latest music crush, jazz vocalist, Gregory Porter...I was feeling a full immersion art-gasm!  The music is fine! but the lyrics are some of the freshest and energizing I've heard since Lizz Wright!  Go youtube Porter right now then come back and tell me what you think!  I have his Be Good CD and just like I do with Lizz Wright, I want to order all his cds.

I'm also looking for another photo to portray.  After spending the Spring and early Summer drawing the jockey almost every day, it wasn't until I did this real fluid drawing that I found some semblance of style that felt good for me to portray realism in.  I love it and want to do more of it.  I have a photo of my Great Great Grandmother that I'm leaning toward...here it is.

I'm not doing a big Thanksgiving meal this year...just gave myself permission to let go of it a few days ago.  After letting that go I thought about my cousins and my Uncle's wife who is a very proud Wampanoag Indian who has never recognized the holiday as it is celebrated...being Native American, the take on Thanksgiving takes on a different perspective.  To quote a line by poet Margaret Walker..."let a new earth rise, a new world be born".


6 comments:

  1. Hi Karen
    I like your pieces, especially the beaded one. Isn't amazing how we can (this is what I call it) "sit around looking stupid" for a while until we start to do something. Creative people have those days, and sometimes longer that we are not creative. But, given the time and looking through unfinished projects we start to stir up the creative juices. Go for it while you're back in the groove.

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  2. good for you on letting TG go, if it was feeling like so much bother! I'm glad not to be cooking this year, although a lot of miles will be put on the car, getting to inlaws and then up to Montreal where my son is in school (and of course, they have a different Thanksgiving). I really love your jockey and the photograph makes me swoon... it would be wonderful to see how she (your great great grandmother) comes alive under your needle.

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    Replies
    1. I really would love to immerse myself on Thursday in the studio, followed by long-distance phone calls to family and end it with a couple of good movies and some music and wine with my man.

      Wishing you safe and happy travelling vibes Dee!

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  3. I really like all your pieces. There is just something about your Great Great Grandmother's photo...like she really has something to say. I'm particularly drawn to your graffiti piece. You know I LOVE handwork. I'm curious if you've given any thought as to how you might finish those pieces.

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Swatching it!

Well, well, well...look who is swatching!  The plan (here goes...) is to knit my grand daughter a sweater.  This will be my first knitted ...