it was a crazy few days trying to finish my little sketchbook before the deadline and afterward i felt a bit hollowed out inside. i mean, i never wanted to walk into my studio again. and not just because it was a disaster area. deadline day saw me dropping paper scraps on the floor, stacking books precariously on top of water jars, painting with my gluey fingers... it was insane. but then, i was insanely happy that it was done, mailed to the brooklyn art library, never to be mine again. it was liberating. i'd never been so happy to let something go.
following this, middle son came home from college, we repaired some sagging front steps, and then you know, laundry, dinner, chauffeuring, etc. so i didn't have a lot of time to go into the studio anyway. but one day i was coming up the stairs and i passed the open doorway and waded in. didn't even clean up, just started working on top of the mess, on a small canvas. then dug out a shadowbox i'd been working on forever and another canvas. seems i'm ready to start again. boy i'm happy about that.
here's a couple of pages of my little sketchbook. you can see more here
i'm calling this navigate. its got old poetry pages underneath and pretty blue paint and part of a vintage map (of course) that has been stitched with vintage thread. maybe one day i'll stop being obsessed with these images - maps, constellations, ways of navigating. but for now, you can find this here in the shop.
it's very late here kids so i'm going to bed... sweet dreams.
4 comments:
I love love love this post... your first paragraph explains how I work in my studio when I decide to lol expecially books on cups and sticky fingers. I was wondering when you would be back to post but I knew that you were working hard on that sketchbook. Congrats on accomplishing such a wonderful work of art and then having the guts to let that work go for others to enjoy! You should feel very very very proud of yourself! I think it is amazing! Also for you to jump back into your studio... that is love! I think all your work is beautiful and don't feel like using the same images is in any way bad! It's brilliant. So many artists have a theme or focus and yours is secretly hidden under those images! Keep being beautiful! :)
you are too kind sweetie. thanks for being here. you made my day!
I heard about the sketchbook project from my daughter when she was in art school. I thought about doing it, but I chickened out! Good for you for completing it!
Kathy - you should try it - you could fill it with your lovely watercolors!
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