Carol Wiebe creates art from this studio: textile, paper, mixed media, poetry
I made a Cracked Paper Quilt version of Sometimes Love Hurts, and mounted it on a wooden panel. You end up with a nicely padded wood panel, which has lots of texture from the stitching.
Sometimes Love Hurts ~ by Carol Wiebe
It is 10″ by 8,” and quite tactile, because the thread lines are all raised.
Here is a side view:
Sometimes Love Hurts ~ side view
The other day I described a gift I received through an art exchange I took part in. On Friday, this little gem (7.5″ x 6″), from Bonnie of Bonnie Samuel Designs, was in my mailbox. I am beginning to understand why artists are enthusiastic about such exchanges!
Untitled ~ by Bonnie Samuel
Bonnie describes her love of art as follows:
I’ve been interested in art since a child and combining my fiber experience and knowledge with my design and painting skills has opened a new and exciting path for me in the form of textile arts. I pull together all the artistic methods that I enjoy most- fiber, paint, stitchery – and find expressive and creative voice in fiber arts.
Visit her gallery of work, and follow her artistic journey on Bonnie’s blog, as well.
In her artist statement, Bonnie ends with:
My imagery is meant for the viewer to identify with, have a good laugh, raise a fist in affirmation or simply enjoy.
Thank you so much, Bonnie, you certainly sent enjoyment my way!
You know that feeling of being so full of emotions that you are going to burst if you don’t give it an outlet? It’s being close to tears and laughter at the same time.
It’s having an elevated sense of energy, with your whole body vibrating and your thoughts expanding.
It’s wanting with an ache you don’t know you can survive, yet you feel so very alive.
The other night I couldn’t sleep. I kept getting up and writing down lines that popped into my head. Each time, I’d glance at the clock, the hours of wakefulness devouring my sleeping time. However, a message wanted to come through and that is a gift I appreciate, any time of the day (or night).
Arrival ~ Mixed Media Painting by Carol Wiebe
ARRIVAL
.
When Inspiration swoops
dissolving all
resistance in its grasp
the familiar cacophony of
doubt simply
ceases.
.
She marvels how
her heart can execute
a beat or she can negotiate
her feet and then
her third eye (the truest
of ocular instruments) lifts
its brow like a floodgate ~ and
insight surges through.
.
You will never hear her
say she fears being
overcome in fact
there is nothing she wants more
and she would not hesitate to
sacrifice both food and drink
to swoon with such
a paramour.
.
Inspiration feeds another
kind
of hunger.
.
© Carol Wiebe
House of Grass ~ by Carol Wiebe
We live in a house of grass: it grows and quickly fades to nothing. But the spirit within simply finds a new vessel.
I have been in high experimental mode, lately, working on new techniques to use in my Cracked Paper Quilts.
This photo will give you a clue as to one of the crazy things I have been trying. Take a guess at what I am up to.
Polka dots with a purpose
I sent away a package to Australia a few weeks ago, for an art exchange, and hope that my little Canadian self portrait actually reaches its intended destination. I have not heard any word about it yet.
However, today I received a package in the mail, and was delighted to find this lovely tie-dyed piece of cloth by Denise Dian.
Tie dye cloth ~ by Denise Dian
I was thrilled, and suddenly the art exchange has become real: I have something in my hands made by another artist because of it.
Denise describes herself, on her website as an experienced “professional designer and free-lance artist, with a degree in Studio Art/Graphic Design.” She expresses her creativity “in many forms such as fine arts, graphic design, desktop publishing, fiber art, sewing and a variety of crafts.”
Thank you, Denise, for sharing your artistry with me!
The sights and smells of fall are intoxicating to me. It is my favorite season. I have been collecting images with my little camera, such as this magnificent purple cabbage:
Purple Cabbage
Then, of course, I have to play with it:
Cabbage Quartet ~ by Carol Wiebe
It is difficult to drag myself away from the computer once I am playing with an image. Time dissolves, and the variations keep playing out one after another in a dizzying cascade, like fall leaves spilling from the trees.
It seems to me that Merle Rosen is doing exactly what she wants to do.
For one thing, there is a wide variety in her work. She is breaking that rule about getting really good at one thing. Her acrylic work, alone, is applied to plywood, paper, yupo, multimedia board, Lanaquarelle, clayboard, and who knows what else.
But what really caught me was this video on YouTube about her collage and painting process.
She begins by quipping: “If you were in here you’d probably be asking me questions about what I’m thinking about, and I’d say I’m not. You’d also want to know what I’m looking at, and I’d say Everything.”
She thinks it’s important to be present with a piece of art, with what is unfolding, whether you like it or not, and trying to go with it as it unfolds.
In this case, the belly button is what she determines to be missing. Oh, and a hat. Her collage material is also her own work, which is part of my method as well. So we’ll have to back up and watch her create the collage material:
She likes to make surfaces her own. She demonstrates working on Yupo with her first love, pencil. I am delighted to know that Yupo holds graphite well, and will definitely be trying it myself. She draws such expressive lines, completely intuitively. If she likes the entire surface, she works at it as a piece of art. If not, she takes the scissors to it and uses it as source material for other images.
Merle likes to take chances, to attempt things where she doesn’t have any idea what the outcome will be.
Did you catch a glimpse of that huge cache of Golden products on her shelves? That’s a perk which Golden Working Artists enjoy.
In an article by CityBeat’s Katie Moser, Rosen reveals that “her artwork and her teaching are a spiritual practice. Through various artistic media, she hopes to connect with her internal dialogue. Rosen teaches to help others do the same.”
Step-By-Step Guide To Acrylic Collage With Merle Rosen is available on DVD if you desire a longer session with Rosen. I am considering it, because her free-wheeling approach is so catchy. I’m also looking at another Golden Working Artist’s DVD: Nancy Reyner’s Acrylic Revolution: Watercolor & Oil Effects with Acrylic Paint. Her book, Acrylic Revolution, is a must have for anyone wants to explore the many options of acrylics.
.
Listening to an interview with Nancy will let you know that she also works intuitively and spontaneously, like Rosen, but with such contrasting results. And Reyner desires to create powerful, transformative work that will move viewers emotionally, revealing something of her to others.
I can’t say with complete assurance that I am noticing everything around me while I paint, but I am definitely watching how the techniques these women use flow from the inner dialogue they are always listening to.
Are you listening to yours?
In October, I viewed a documentary about an a creature that has held my fascination for years. A Murder of Crows described the common crow as “one of the most intelligent, playful and mischievous species on the planet.”
After learning that the crow can fashion tools and recognize faces, I became even more enamored with this species.
However, I do not anthropomorphize them into smart and sinister bad boys of the bird world. I am not sure exactly why my head always turns when I hear a caw, or see a piece of art that features the crow. Somehow, they have come to represent certain aspects of myself~ I am curious how they act, and in what way others present them.
My friend Deb recently introduced me to the work of Craig Kosak. Oh my . . . if you are a member of the crow fan club, Kosak’s work is going to cause your feathers to tremble. Technically, he paints the raven. However, articles with titles such as How to Tell Differences Between Crows and Ravens make it clear that I am not the only one who usually treats them as one species. And, indeed, the Corvus genus includes both.
Six Moons ~ by Craig Kosak (used with permission)
Western Art Collector Magazine, in its May 2008 issue, has an article entitled Instinct and Insight, where it reveals the astonishing fact that it was only in 2008 that Kosak had his first solo show, by the same name. The show featured 21 oil paintings, which helped Kosak delve into “who he really is” in a way that he considers “better than any therapy.”
Southwest Art featured Raven and Buffalo 7 on its January 2008 cover and dubbed him, inside, as an artist to watch in 2008.
His latest article was in the August 2009 edition of American Art Collector previewing his Indian Market show in Santa Fe, Talisman.
Many things draw me to Kosak’s work, including the following:
1–Those crows (ravens), which are so alive and gracefully posed/poised.
2–The luscious backgrounds, which look deceptively simple at first glance, but carry so many subtle details, including symbols and a rich layering of color. I can’t stop staring at the color permutations of the fence the crow is perched on, in the painting below, or that luminous flower.
Kosak divulges that he uses “lots of glazing and areas of solid color.”
I’ll take five, six, or seven passes at each area of the painting because I want the colors to glow. I do alternative layers of opaque and transparent color. It’s a continual process.
Talisman II was hung, for those fortunate enough to be present this past October, at the Howard/Mandeville Gallery. The gallery offers these insights about Kosak’s work:
Craig Kosak is inspired by the wildlife and landscapes he encounters while traveling and returns to his studio full of experiences to be expressed in his work. Rather than faithfully documenting the flora and fauna, he strives to capture his feelings, insights and emotions from these personal sojourns. Each trip consists of both a journey through the outer world, and an inner journey where he learns more about his own humanity, his spirit, and the world inside. His paintings are about both worlds and how they relate to each other.
Bloom ~ by Craig Kosak (used with permission)
Finding that emotional connection to your subject matter is absolutely necessary for an artist to stay inspired long enough to do the work. But does it translate to your viewers?
For this viewer, Craig, I would definitely offer an enthusiastic “Yes!”
P.S. Sharon Fraser sent me this link to a TED talk by Joshua Klein on The Intelligence of Crows. He tells us, and I quote, that “You should not piss off a crow.” Watch the talk to find out why.
Somehow, I have become quite relaxed about this new “career” of mine, making art.
I have decided it will not be anything like my other careers, where I labored hard and long to acquire the credentials and secure the positions I believed I needed. In all these positions I have had bosses to obey, co-workers to co-operate with, work to take home that ate away at off time, and a varied assortment of stresses that I simply considered part of “the game.” In fact, I have not quite quit those games: by all counts I have another three years to keep my game face on. (Fortunately, when I am with the little ones, I just have fun!)
But art, ahhhh, that is an entirely different matter. My art career is unfolding as a marvelous, revelatory path of discovery. I have no-one else to please or answer to. I can create what I want, when and how I want. I have more dreams and plans than you can shake the proverbial stick at, but I refuse to get in a flap about any of them. I am engaged by them, not employed by them. They fascinate and excite me. They do not demand my time, but fill my time like love fills an open heart. I am not obligated to perform, but can follow the inner invitation to play with my entire being.
My intuition informs me of each step and I can take all the time I need to fulfill it. My “job” is to simply enjoy myself and observe the evolution of my desires and intentions. I believe new opportunities are constantly coming my way and that I will be ready to embrace each and every one of them, without having to frantically follow a checklist set out for me by the latest success guru. I intend to have it all: the joy of art making, an art business that springs out of that, and plenty of leisure time to share with the people I love. I’ve had some successes in achieving this, and realising that art is part of everything I do.
Body, mind, and spirit are fully occupied with living the artful, art-filled life.
|
