Shibori Paper Process

The paper has been unclamped

Here you can see the pattern emerging almost done
Ironed flat...now what?

30 Day Experiment

I found a link to this article on Robert Genn's website through Lisa Call's blog.
First let me say I am in awe of Lisa Call, not just for her work which is extraordinary, or her productivity which is humbling, but also for her thoughts on creativity and process and well, lets just say I admire her as an artist and secretly deep in my heart I aspire to be just like her (except y’know me)…
Anyway these posts got me thinking about how well I do or do not guard my energies… I have come to the conclusion that its not as well as I would like to think.
I talk far too much about my plans for projects and my business and I write about my plans in my morning pages ad nausem. Now yes morning pages are a dumping ground for whatever is clogging up the brain, but to quote Professor Farnsworth (Futurama) “ Oh no! She’s caught in a closed loop and he’s an idiot!”
I’m seeing a loop in my behavior, my MPs are the same every day, and I haven’t been getting much done…which leads me to the 30 day experiment.
I’m changing this behavior for 30 days to see what happens.
The Ground rules are:
· I may not discuss or write about future plans
· I may jot down ideas or sketches for my own use
· I may use a to do list (because my head might explode without one)
· I may catalog the experience as it happens, daily observation is encouraged
· I may discuss or write about completed work
· The future is mine; I don’t talk it or write it I realize it.
· 30 days, if it sucks I’m allowed to let it go and resume old ways
Today I completed 2 sets of paper Shibori making a total of 3 altogether. I really love the results I’ve gotten. It was also the very first thing I did when I got to the studio. Opening and heat setting the rice paper is so exciting because the results are so unpredictable, like little presents! Some are more special than you ever thought they would be and others are like the ???? Gift from a secret Santa (who thought I would want this?)
Here are a couple of pictures of the process from my first set

Another Step

Its been a little while since I 've posted. I ran into a bit of a bump because I'm not entirely sure of how to work this blogging thing. Bumps tend to knock me down. My frustration stems from being unable to figure out how to manage my "groups" as well as some difficulty with posting multiple images per post. I have decided to just break it down and try to figure out one step at a time...
Tonight: How do I upload an image directly from my computer??

Ok that wasn't too tough...

And then: How do I upload a second one to the same posting??

Hey I did it! Sweet!

Both of these are images of a Daffodil piece I did that is on exhibit at Day One a counseling center in Providence RI. It is made of hand-dyed fabrics, fused and stitched with contrasting threads, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out especially considering how quickly I had to turn it around for the exhibit. From pencil sketch to finished piece it took about 36 hours.