I am painfully aware of how very long it’s been since my last post. It’s not that I’ve been idle. In truth, part of the reason is frustration with my inability to “dialogue” with those who comment. I’ve added Intense Debate, hoped Word Press would add the notification feature that they have on their .org sites to their .com sites but alas as yet, if you comment on a post, you will not be notified when I reply to your comment – and I always reply. Yes, whining is a poor way to reward you for your visit, but if you have any recommendations as to how I can notify people when their comment has received a reply, I will be eternally grateful.
So, what have I been up to? I have finished another table top. This one based on images and memories from hikes in California.
It has a somewhat softer feel than my previous work and I now wish that I had considered a lighter coloured grout to enhance that softness. That, however, will have to wait for another one – and there will be more. read more…
One of the frustrations of not being able to work at my art full-time, is the length of time it takes to complete a project. I know – I’m the first to agree that it’s not about completion but about the process. That being said, it’s still nice to see my efforts turn into a finished piece if for no other reason than to be able to answer in the affirmative when someone asks, “Is it done yet?”. Well, I’m very happy to report that this project has finally been completed.
Creating a water feature provided new challenges for me. The surface material was one I hadn’t worked with before, it was larger than I’d previously attempted, and must be able to withstand a constant stream of water flowing over and within it. I am so grateful to the many mosaic artists who provided answers to my questions by including them in their books.
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If you read my previous post, you’ll know just how inspiring I found our recent visit to New Mexico. So inspiring that although it was only a week long stay one post was insufficient to give you a sense of the sites and sights that made this such an amazing trip…and with this, it’s still just a taste.
Santa Fe is such a beautiful city in part because of the strict building codes. Building is required to be done in territorial or Spanish Revival style and there are no high rises to obstruct the view of the mountains that surround the city. This is a residential subdivision – can you spot the houses? Clicking to enlarge the image may help, but maybe not.
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In September I made my first, but most certainly not my last, real visit to New Mexico. True, the occasion that took me there was my wedding, so at the very least we’ll return to celebrate an anniversary now and again. Had we, however, gone for any other reason, my conviction to return would be as strong. Everywhere I turned it seemed I found inspiration. New Mexico is a magnet for artists and it’s easy to see why. The sky, the light, the colour, the architecture, the art and of course the chile, all contribute to artistic inspiration.
I’ve been puzzling this past month over how to turn the experience into a post. At last I decided to just show you a little bit of a lot. This doesn’t come close to covering our week long journey or to explaining just how inspiring this corner of the world is, but it’s a start.
The New Mexico sky was the most beautiful cerulean blue usually contrasted by fluffy white clouds, but also by whitewashed adobe structures like this freshly painted archway. This is part of the wall surrounding the San Francisco Catholic Church in Golden, NM on the Turquoise Trail from Albuquerque to Santa Fe.
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When I first posted images of the completed “Tide Pool Table” to Twitter, Facebook and Flickr, a number of people asked me how I’d designed it, or suggested that I post images of the mosaic in progress.
Tide Pool Table
I had taken a few shots of the tabletop as I worked on it, but very few. In spite of that, I am going to try to show you how it came into being.
It all started with a patio side table that had seen better days. The table had a chip out of its plain glass top and seemed a prime candidate for a mosaic makeover.
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If you had told me a decade ago that I was about to enter an extended period of time without making art, I would have sworn it to be impossible. Surely such a thing would kill me, or at the very least turn me to stone. Well here it is, after eight years of artistic celibacy; I’m not dead and my spirit thrives. It did, however, become evident during that time that making art is an essential part of who I am.
Until early 2000 art making was a huge part of my life. I had a lovely large studio and spent a good part of everyday and more frequently night working on projects both for exhibition and for fun. I attended classes, workshops and art retreats, sat on the board of art organizations, adjudicated children’s art and gave workshops. I painted in acrylic and oil, used mixed media in various ways and by the end of the 90′s, was principally engaged in making found object sculpture and jewellery. I was also part of an artist’s collective called The Coterie of Malcontents, working on group projects from exhibits to workshops. My artist friends and I spent a great deal of time creating beautiful or whacky (or both) gifts for each other that were presented at our not infrequent get togethers. Art made up a large part of both my work and social life.
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