Two Women Talk: No. 5

 

Hello friends,

I have been digesting the weeklong cyanotype collaboration with my friend and art collaborator, Ellen Dooley. So many takeaways from that venture. I am still letting the energy settle.  To briefly recap, Ellen and I challenged ourselves to make a print every day for a full week. We limited the size to 5x7ish, had to use UV sensitive chemistry, natural fiber papers, freshly made each day. Whatever else we chose to throw in there was up to us. It was uncanny how we ended up making something akin to what the other did - you can see that in our diptych presentations which are all in the slide show below. 

Here is one...my skeleton leaves (l.) mimic the bare tree branches in Ellen's image (r.). We both also added elements on top of our prints. We did not confer with each other prior to making our prints...

A few personal interpretations of my experience: 

1. I learned the importance of DAILY time and space to create - even if all you do during that time span is coat papers or jot ideas down in your sketchbook. Like so many of you, when you have the responsibilities of home, family, and possibly an outside job/career, it becomes increasingly important and necessary to carve out a schedule to put into action all that mulls around in your creative mind. My 'work days' have transitioned into a much more flexible schedule now yet I still have all those other day to day necessities to tend to - the ones where I have no one else to defer the task or can pitch in to lighten my load. Being accountable this week ~ to show up to create ~ helped organize all those other 'things to do'.

2. Creating from a spirit of exploration was much more meaningful than creating with a purpose solely to sell and/or exhibit when others direct what you 'should do' to keep their interest. I had more joy that week than I have in quite awhile.... Enjoying the process is where I need to be right now. 

3. Having someone to encourage you, nudge you, hold you 'accountable', give you constructive criticism can be essential to personal artistic growth. I highly encourage you to find someone to collaborate with - you'll both grow from it.... No egos allowed. It's nice to have that kind of feedback that says "Oh, I love it!", "That's beautiful", "Lovely colors", "Cool technique", etc etc. Those who care about us don't want to hurt our feelings. They simply want to encourage and support us. But, that isn't terribly productive. What do you 'love' about it? How does it make you feel? What do you see? Another artist, or at the very least, someone familiar with your medium and being able to read art, can be viable in helping you to question your own work, give you an honest interpretation of what they see - not meaning to put down or be hurtful, but to give a perspective of what others see and, in turn, help you to see some aspects you missed because you are so close to the subject. You can take it or leave it but the feedback from critical observation can be a useful tool towards resolution of the project. 

4. Not everything you create is going to be 'museum grade' or 'gallery ready'  or even sale worthy and that is O. K. Through the act of experimenting, exploring, playing - you may well find your way to intimate works that define the what and why parts of your artistic journey.

5. Time and Patience are your friends.....mostly Patience. Don't forget to bring Joy to the party, too. She keeps things light and fun.

For a few days following the culmination of our project, Ellen and I needed a break from our daily chats and sharing yet we each carried that creative energy forward, quietly, in our respective spaces. For me, I ended up purging out a lot of clutter (gave away 100+ books and lots of excess art supplies!), and curating my journals and supplies so less energy was wasted in finding and gathering. I was able to define more clearly where I needed to go with my current projects. And, most importantly, I continued the daily habit of making something - not to completion - that isn't the point - continuing to show up is.

So, what's next?

Next week, I am gifting myself an artist retreat at a live in art studio just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Just me, my furry companion, and a camper van full of stuff to play with as well as one project that is nearing completion. I've done it before. Magical. This time, I'm slowly camping my way from here to there through desert expanses, ancient lands of Native peoples, and deep mountain forests.  I'll spend a few blissful but hard working weeks getting my G R A T I T U D E project ready to disperse. Four years in the making. It is time.

As it happens, Ellen and I will be in New Mexico at the same time - different agendas and lodging locations, but we will meet up at the studio and have some fun. Looking forward to sharing with you another project we'll work on together in real time!

For now, let me share with you a simple slideshow of our collective works. These are small works - 5x7ish in size - on organic fiber papers - made by hand using chemistry, natural UV light, and intuition. Holding them. Seeing them in person to peer through the layers is quite intriguing. A flat digital image on screen doesn't do them justice. 

Hear! Hear! for holding a real print made by hand......Someday, soon-ish, we can share them with you in person...

Some cool stuff on the horizon - check back in a couple weeks to see what has transpired.  Thanks for the encouragement and support so far....

Slideshow compiling all of our selected daily works from July 5-12, 2021. Music is by Alex de Steiguer, who hails from New England. Her story, photographic works, and music are definitely worth checking out. Please do. I have purchased her book as well as all of her music which frequently accompanies me on my travels and in my studio.  

As always, thanks for coming along...

d~