Making Daily- June 24, 2020

My work is pretty intensive, I tend to make fairly big paintings and I put a lot of details and symbolism in them.  And I make them up, they aren't just a person sitting there, don't get me wrong there are many marvelous paintings of people sitting there that I adore, but I don't usually do that type of painting.   Anyway this kind of work takes a long time.  And I'm not going to lie, sometimes it's pretty exhausting.  I think for quite a while on each piece, I take notes, gather images, take reference photos, sketch ideas and think some more.  Then I assemble the pieces into a priliminary sketch or digital painting before I start.  This slow process can make it seem to the outside world like I'm not working, because I'm not posting my progress daily.  

I enjoy product as much as I do process though so I make lots of smaller things daily. This feels healthy to me, it gets me out of my head and into doing.  You may know that I'm an avid fiber artist as well as a painter, so usually I spin yarn and knit daily.  I'm working on a sweater right now, it's not perfect, but I like it.  I forgot to photograph it but I will tomorrow.  One other thing I do is I make a lot of my own clothes.  I really enjoy that and have done it since I was a kid.  I just cut out some new sweat pants for myself, you probably don't need to see those!  Just grey sweatpants.  I'm also waiting  for some interfacing I ordered from the fabric store so that I can sew a dress for my daughter Jillian which is all cut out and ready to go.  

Today this is what I did.  I'm making small paintings of animal symbols.  Hopefully eventually I will have an entire wall of these symbols.  I did the rabbits a while ago, today I worked on crows, they are not done...tomorrow.  They actually don't even look good yet!  So hopefully you will be surprised by how nice they look when I'm done.

I've had some people mention that they get stuck and don't know what to paint sometimes.  I think it's good to just paint through those kinds of times, we all go through that.  Especially lately we're all under a lot of stress with the sad and horrible political issues, and the pandemic going on.  I think it's a good idea to just paint something, look on google and make a pretty picture or string some beads into a necklace.  It helps to decompress. 

 I also ordered these tiny looms from Loome Studio!  Tiny Looms They were inexpensive and cute, I thought it would be fun to make little weavings at night while I watch tv.

What are you doing in quarantine?

That's probably a question people are asking all over the place.  I can't believe we've been inside for six weeks now.  When I was hearing all the stories of quarantine in Wuhan I remember thinking of what life must have been like for all those people.  Honestly I'm uncomfortable, but I realize how fortunate I am, I have a home and a yard, and food I even have a few rolls of toilet paper.  I feel for the people who have to go to work on the bus or subway and are risking exposure, many can't afford not to work.  All the medical personnel that are risking their lives, I'm so grateful to them.

Anyway, what I've been doing is logging major studio time.  And I haven't just been painting but I've been sewing, spinning yarn, and knitting a lot.  I find that especially knitting with it's rhythmic nature to be of comfort.  There is something in the action of working with your hands that quiets the mind.  And you can find a calm inside.  You forget about the worries for a little while.  Craft is a moving meditation.

I am not kidding about logging those hours I just keep doing things even if they are ridiculous like decorating packages to be mailed.  

Art Trading card, and a handspun, handknit bag for my friend.  Which will be mailed in the decorated envelope.  Because she's my friend who reminds me to stay cheery and enjoy life in the moment.

One more thing...if you'd like to learn to knit here is some instruction I did...it's really short, I'm no youtube vlogger (not yet anyway), but it will help you learn a knit stitch.  Maybe I'll make a matching video to teach you to purl.