After a week of frustrating attempts to make a piece on the studio wall come together, I decided that a deliberate decision to work in a series would simply not work for me. This is a detail from the first piece; the next piece will have to evolve by itself - or I will have to let it go. It is just too stressful to work with such intent (or intensity, which is probably more to the point.) It is not fun.
Tried starting something else but in the end, all the fabrics came off the wall, went back into their respective boxes, and I reverted to therapy sewing for the rest of the afternoon.
I have a sewing machine at my studio - brought there "for emergencies" and till now, it has served as a bookend for all the screens on my bottom shelf in the corner. Print and design in the studio, sewing at home has been the routine. It seems such a waste to sew there -- but in the past week or two that is just what I have been doing and it is strangely calming.
I posted this block (or one like it) yesterday. Could anything be uglier? This was one of several blocks I made using a method in a book that shall be nameless. Probably a good book for many people - but not my cuppa. Besides, the fabric choices I made were vile. Maybe not separately, but together - eeeeeeew.
After I got finished adding strips today, it looked like this:
I still have several more blocks to cut up, so we'll see what happens. Tonight at home I have been doing the same thing - but have decided to stick with blues and greens, since they are calming colors. I'm using a combination of my own printed cloth and Helene's Hand Dyes - and I suspect some of Usha's Handloom Batik fabrics will sneak in now and then, as well.
I stuck these units on the wall just now to take a photo and picked up the one with the purple,which has been lying around since the year of the flood. Looked like it might work and sure enough, it does (and yes, these are Handloom Batiks). But I'm not making anything yet -- I just need to sew.
Tomorrow, the hand surgeon in the morning and then Josh and Ben are coming over for the afternoon. There's a Cezanne exhibit at the local museum that might be worth a visit...although I suspect they'll want to go to the studio. Maybe we can do both.
5 comments:
Hope your hand will be okay soon! -- I love this green+purple. And I agree with you about the method of working you mentioned in the beginning. Floating free instead of forcing one's will onto a piece. -- I find it exiting to work with other's discarded pieces; once you know for sure you will not continue a piece, don't you think that it still could inspire others?
Like Eva, I really enjoy the freshness of the chartreuse and the purple combination. I also like working without intent. Deadlines and guidelines frustrate me and remove any shread of spontaneity and creativity that might otherwise exist.
Hope all goes well with the Dr this morning.
xo
Guess I'm one of your diehard fans, Rayna...I love everything you do! What's up with the hand surgeon?? Hope all is well with you otherwise.
XO
Green and purple combos are so vibrant, just think of every purple flower that grows with it's greenery. Loving your stripping, especially the second from bottom. Liking the thin strips of red and pink which punctuate the greens. Sometimes you just have to let it flow, it's very zen. An inspiration.
Hi Rayna, You are giving me permission to let "stuff" be out in the studio.Thank you! I got 2 new small tables and they have disappeared under fabric.. any horizontal surface! You asked what followers do with started projects, some from classes are together in with the directions, for a "free" moment. Others, such as strips, and left overs are scrunched into a bag or two or container or two..I will try what you do with the therapy sewing. But right now have to work on a small commission piece. Might just add some therapy sewing to it.. And get rid of some fabric!
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