Stretch Marks

Do you get spiritual stretch marks from growing a lot all at once?

Challenges and difficult times stretch you. You learn things about yourself, your character develops, you are never left the same.

Somehow it always seems that challenges travel in groups, they don't come just one at a time.

Stretch a bit here, stretch some more there, stretch a bit further, can you stretch some more for one more thing?

Some days I'm not sure I can stretch much further.  

So I'm asking: 

Do you get spiritual stretch marks?

Winterruption

My art moment for the week consisted of being a viewer. We went down to Granville Island yesterday to join in the Winterruption festival. It was a beautiful sunny day, just begging people to come out and play. So play we did! We stopped to listen to some jazz, wandered through the glassblowers studio, sampled a triple lemon donut, enjoyed a cup of tea, and was inspired by the landscape show at the Federation Gallery.
My favourite piece from the show would be this one
"Nocturne" by Mena Martini

Keys and circles

 Here are a few more research samples. These things are fun and easy to do. I don't worry about how to attach or connect them, it is all about the shapes and combinations at this stage.

Form and texture

Each one is 9"x 12"

uses 1/2" fencing mesh, found objects and industrial materials

Interwoven, 3D compilations, an experiment in combining materials.

The grid has informed and undergirded alot of my previous work. Most often it has been drawn onto the work surface or snapped with a chalk line. This time I have ventured to use a physical wire mesh grid to build the piece on. It definitely added a different dimension, the grid was not a passive tool, but an active part of the piece that I had to figure out how to work with. The mesh challenged at the same time allowing for the building of more sculptural qualitites.

Spring has arrived

This morning a whole flock of robins arrived on my doorstep. They have been busy checking out the gardens and trees, happily chirping the whole time. This is one of the few times you see robins in a flock. They looked so neat, all of them sitting in the tree echoing the muted, brown shades of the tree, brushed with just a hint of red.

Two steps back, one step forward

Last night I had set aside some time to work on my art, the only progress I had to show for it was in reverse. Meaning I officially decided I did not like how the current piece was turning out and aborted progress. Two steps back.
On the positive side, I did manage to get two boards prepped and ready to go for next time. One step forward.

I also went to see the Re:Creation exhibit featuring a variety of visual artists from the We Make Stuff book.

Check out this link to see a snapshot of the variety of work that is included in the book
 http://wemakestuff.tumblr.com/

Playing

A few playful experiments that got me started. I liked the materials sitting together, so I tried rearranging them into patterns. I found them interesting and informative, almost mini research projects to use as reference material for future pieces. Each one is no bigger than 6 inches square