I like them a lot, was pleased with how they came out, but they were not creative in the sense of emerging from one of those mental places that are neither picture nor words. Anyway, I find I've embarked on what might be a very interesting mixed media piece.
It's about sea-wrack, and it's started off with freeform crochet. Again, it's all recycled: Helen H. donated the thread from a project she gave me unfinished, it's DMC cotton perle, in color number 644, a light dusty sage,which doesn't show up in the pic. The hook is size 5 or F, depending on how you count, part of a care package from Judy T. The hook gives you a sense of the current size of the crochet.
These techy details are for the fiber and textile artists, and recyclers, who like to dip in here now and then to read, and whose participation is valuable to this bloglady. Speaking of recycling, the crochet is displayed on top of an oak Mission style coffee table, with two drawers, each with ceramic pull handle, which I rescued from the dumpster many years ago.
The picture here is the initial stage. If you note the little end sticking out, that tells you where I started. It will be secured invisibly later. If you're a crocheter, you will see that it's a combo of floating single chain and double crochet in shell shapes, great fun to do,and appropriate to the meaning of the piece.
This is being designed in mid air, as I go, and once this first part is complete, I'll stretch it on probably linen, in a frame or hoop, and go on with beads and goldwork (this is no surprise, I guess). I feel so much better physically, now that I've started on this. Or that it's started on me, it works both ways.
One of the difficulties I've been dealing with since I got sick is that it also hit my hands, which have been feeling very gnarly. I can't crochet for very long, but I think that's okay, since it forces me to stop and look rather than blaze away.
Creating art, as opposed to preplanned stitching, takes a lot of mental and emotional energy,and that stamina has not been available for a while. I trod water, doing nice small stuff, and doing a bit of framing of completed pieces, but wasn't able to really create anything new. So this is great. We'll see how it goes. When you're up for it, art both spends and replaces your energy, but that balance is not always there if you're under the weather.
A while ago I did a little piece, which a viewer suggested I name Tidepool,and I think SeaWrack might be a companion piece in some way. I think pearls might get into it, and beads simulating sea glass in greens and blues, and gold thread and, well, who knows where it will go after that.
It will probably be in my 2014 exhibit, if it goes as well as it feels right now. I now have one more thing to be thankful for when Handsome Son comes over on Thursday to cook and assemble along with me, for our Thanksgiving dinner.
Happy Tday, US blogistas, and Happy Thursday readers in many other places!
Glad to see your artistic mojo is back! Little projects are good to wet your whistle so to speak, but there's nothing quite the meat and potatoes of creation. I love the look of freeform crochet and keep meaning to have a go, but my hands argue the point. Enjoy your turkey day with Handsome Son.
ReplyDeleteThat is looking and sounding very interesting. At first glance I was reminded of mushrooms - can't remember which ones - are they shitake? And then, along with your aquatic theme, some type of coral. I eagerly await the final outcome.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you too.
this is a lovely piece and it immediately said sea weed to me.
ReplyDeleteI struggle knitting with joint s but crochet and needle tatting seem to be okay so far.They do say bamboo hooks and needles are kinder to the hands, wonder if you have tried those.