Sunday, March 8, 2015

RECENT MOMENTS

What's been going on lately?
A lot...
and...
at the same time...
not much.

Continuing to work on balance.

Here's a peek into some recent moments.

Magazines clippings
that help me keep focus
and restate my intention...


Sherberty spring color palette...


used in an ongoing Vintage Spin (from Kathy Doughty)
that I want to be king sized and minkee backed.



My sacred sewing space...
with my new organizer under my machine...
(as if anything will get organized! Ha!)


A Modern Wedge workshop with
Sherri Lynn Wood
that I arranged.


This is Sherri's demonstration
of her interesting process.
She talked about being on the edge of the unknown
and the choice we have
between being afraid
or
living in our anxiety.
Living.
Letting go.
Accepting.
Surrendering.


She started class with a meditation
asking us to be present to what we were experiencing.
To be present in our creative process.
(This annoyed a lot of ladies,
but I loved it!)


She said that if we are flexible in our process
the patchwork will start to do it's own thing.
The more controlled we are,
the less life our work will have.


Here's some work
from the lovely group of ladies 
that gathered for the class.







As I reflect on the day
I am not sure how I feel.
Did I learn anything new?
Maybe I just needed 
to underline what I already know,
but can always be reminded of.
I enjoyed all the creative words about
being present
and attuned to our process.
But,
at the same time,
was left
feeling neutral.

Hmmm...


Two weeks later,
I took a contemporary string class with Gwen Martson.



I enjoy her work
and enjoy watching her even more.
She's a wonderful inspiration
for enjoying life.


Her words
echo Sherri's.

"Art is unpredictable.
If you are worried 
about if this goes with that
you have to get over it."

"You have to be a little more fearless girls."


"String quilts are a glorious celebration
of just going ahead...
you get to figure things out as you go along...
it keeps you engaged
all the way through."

"No rules RULES -
sew the way you want
press when you think you need to."

Here's some of the work form the ladies in the class.






Here's mine
in two different configurations.


Hmmm....
more neutral feelings...
wonder what that means?


And then there is my painting class.
Painting in one word...
intense.
Here's my last work
in progress...


Our last project is 
to be based on one of three collages we make of 
masterpeices.

Here are my three collages.
A bit of Picasso, Matisse, Klee, and Van Gogh.





I choose the last one 
and used a projector
to creat a paint by number!

Hearing Sherri and Gwen in my thoughts...
getting in touch with the present moment...
I am choosing to...
let go of the anxiety
and
be a little more fearless.

My art teacher says 
that as artists we create to know.

Let a joyful celebration of 
the process
begin!



Wise wonderful Walter knows all this already.



5 comments:

  1. Oh Steph, thanks so much for the peek into your classes! amazing people. Sherri's class must have been totally awesome and Gwen's too! By the way--I love your "Sacred Sewing Space"--thanks --I showed my DH your fabric shelves and he now understands that I don't have SO MUCH fabric after all hahaha(he doesn't know about all those little hideaways for fabric and YARN, too. ) Anyway--I'll have to take out my wedges that I did in 2013 after following Sherri's posts and see if I can "Fly" with them. Throw caution (and seam allowances!!) to the wind!! Great post and pix... p.s. I would have loved the meditation, too....hugs, Julierose

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  2. What a bunch of rich inspiration here! Love your Picasso woman sitting by the Matisse window. I had a similar feeling about Sherri's class. Still don't know why. Many thanks to you for bringing her to us. Gwen is always full of encouragement and good humor. Glad you got to spend the time with her.

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  3. Do you ever take a day off? I'm tired just reading your list! Sounds like a lot of stuff is rolling around in that head of yours. Enjoy it!

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  4. Hi Steph - those quotes are inspirational and just what I needed this morning - thank you. And I love the idea of a meditation before throwing myself into my pile of fabric. Cheers, Helen (I still can't get these ideas out of my head - so very timely!)

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  5. wheee, what fun and fabulous classes and work!

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