Once in a Blue . . . Pear

I always liked the phrase Once in a blue moon. It refers to the rarity of some event. It also, according to Wikipedia, describes extra full moons:

A blue moon is a full moon that is not timed to the regular monthly pattern. Most years have twelve full moons which occur approximately monthly, but in addition to those twelve full lunar cycles each calendar year contains an excess of roughly eleven days. The extra days accumulate, so that every two or three years (on average about every 2.7154 years) there is an extra full moon. The extra moon is called a “blue moon.” Different definitions place the “extra” moon at different times.

• In calculating the dates for Lent and Easter, the Clergy identify the Lent Moon. It is thought that historically when the moon’s timing was too early they named an earlier moon as a “betrayer moon” (“belewe” moon), thus the Lent moon came at its expected time.
• Folklore gave each moon a name according to its time of year. A moon which came too early had no folk name – and was called a blue moon – bringing the correct seasonal timings for future moons
• The Farmer’s Almanac defined blue moon as an extra full moon that occurred in a season; one season was normally three full moons. If a season had four full moons, then the third full moon was named a blue moon.

I often use the moon in my art and poetry, including the blue moon on rare occasions (yes, I did that on purpose). So when I created this blue pear, the phrase popped into my head as a title, with a slight revision.

It’s a small, 8″ by 8″ collage painting on a solid birch panel (like the collage paintings I did in April). It is quite textured, and I was very pleased with the sides. I have a thing for the sides of a painting: they play important “supporting roles” to the main star or face.

Once in a Blue Pear ~ by Carol Wiebe

Once in a Blue Pear ~ top view

Hey, Sis, this one’s for you!

See My Articles in FIBRE & STITCH 7, and QUILTING ARTS 39

I have a lighthearted, but informative, article in Fibre & Stitch 7. Sue Bleiweiss and Terri Stegmiller were so easy to work with, and I look forward to future association with these talented and productive women!

The article celebrates a visit with my sister, Barb Pearson, in the summer of 2008. Among many other things,  we each produced a meaningful, but hilarious, gift for each other~using my paper quilting techniques. We had such a fantastic week together, where we immersed ourselves in art, while catching up on each others’ thoughts, dreams, and experiences. It is not a cliché to say that I will always cherish that time with her, and hope to schedule more art dates in the future!

A Small Flock~Carol Angel and Barb Angel

I also wrote an article on paper quilting for Quilting Arts 39, which will hit the stands (or computers for those who opted for digital subscriptions) in July.

I love writing about art almost as much as making it! Fortunately, the two activities dovetail quite nicely!

A different light

Spheres

There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres.  ~Pythagoras

I went shopping in Vancouver yesterday, with my husband and sister, and ended up taking many pictures in a shop that carried items like stone tables, statuary, doors, etc. The spheres caught my attention, among other things. My sister has been to this store many times, and used a number of the resulting photos in some of her collage paintings. She also buys pieces, periodically, so they are quite indulgent about shutter snapping on their premises. Besides, for all they know, we are making a record of future items to purchase.

Shopping is not my favorite activity, unless the shop is an art store or book store, but finding shops where you can photograph items for art’s sake puts the activity in a whole different light!

Au revoire, ma soeur

Creativity leaps when you work with a compatible companion.

I’ve been writing lately about my experience with my sister, Barb, during a recent visit, where we created art together. As I noted in the title, creativity leaps when in the presence of a compatible companion. Ideas were shooting out of our heads like firecrackers. I’ll have more to say about that later.

Previously, I had shown Barb’s ripped, cut, sewn watercolor canvas. I have included it again, below.

Ripped, cut, and sewn watercolor canvas

Here is her completed piece:

Barb's completed piece: acrylic on watercolor paper

Barb described working on this as “painting eight small, connected paintings.” Interesting. Perhaps it’s a different way to do a series, or we could call it an octych. In any case, she found the method fascinating, and is now indebted to the Fran Skiles’ art process, as am I.

One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and to look at things that no one else has bothered to look at. This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity. ~Edward de Bono

The Zen of Art

I enjoyed what Robert Genn has to say about the Zen of art. Here are some of his suggestions for practicing art this way, with my comments added, in red:

Have an attitude of low expectations and nothing to lose.
I think you can have a nothing to lose attitude without needing to lower your expectations.

Try to make deliberate, thoughtful, rhythmic movements.
This works very well.

Allow yourself to dream, flow and indulge your fancies.
Absolutely!

Be philosophic about your weaknesses and creative faults.
I would use the word forgiving.

Let your work tell you what it needs.
Always!

Let yourself yin and yang between thought and no thought.
I like to work intuitively, then become analytic at a natural cessation of the flow.

Accept imperfection. Try for the spirit of attaining.
Love that!

Teach yourself to teach yourself as you go.
This means paying attention!

Be in the now, but look gently ahead.
Quite the balancing act.

My sister and I have been together a full day now, and started with ripping, cutting, and re-sewing watercolor paper. This is what I started with the first day at Fran Skiles’ workshop, and I was certain my sister would appreciate the possibilities of this technique. Her name is Barb Pearson, and she works in watercolor, acrylics, and collage. She took up photography as a painting aid, but soon exhibited such talents in this area that it has become a force in her life quite equal to the painting. She is also an avid gardener, and uses her prodigious sense of color and design to keep recreating her glowing and flowing garden.

Barb has textured part of her piece, and is now ready to paint and collage. I think it looks fabulous already!