Tuesday 8 January 2013

The Thread that Weaves

I am having a great time in the online workshop I signed up for "The Thread that Weaves" Roxanne Evans Stout is our illustrious teacher and you can check out her awesome blog at River Garden Studio She has just posted about the class and our perspectives on what the Thread that Weaves through our art. I am still very driven to practicing the drawing of faces.

This is in my small Moleskine journal


And here is one in my workshop project
Not sure if this is finished yet

This is a collage I am working on for one of my books in the workshop and I am loving how this one is  developing.

Playing around with ideas for themes


 Playing around with textures


You can read my point of view here as well as on Roxannes site where you will find the other artists viewpoints and lots of beautiful art. 
The thread that weaves through my art is the joy and fearless abandon to experiment and try new things. My art journals are my constant companions that encourage my playful nature. I find faces and eyes fascinating. After all "Eyes are the Window to your Soul." 
Also featuring prominently in my work is lots of texture and layering. I have always had a good eye for color and design but drawing had always intimidated me.
Struggling to deal with the unexpected and tragic death of my horse Jazz in 1997 unleashed this block. I wanted to be able to draw him. As I felt I didn't have enough photos of him and I didn't want to forget my favorite memories of him doing all the crazy, silly things he did. We had a very special connection and I took his death really hard this gave me the extra push I needed to overcome my fear of drawing so I signed up for drawing lessons and horses were my subject.
After some time my fascination with faces, started to creep back into my art but this time I was drawing them! In the past when I would try and stick to a theme for a journal and it would not encourage my creativity but stifle it. This changed when I started feeling braver about drawing faces and I have since filled up one journal and am working on several more! 
 
My palette tends to be earthy rich saturated tones inspired by the natural world, flora and fauna and I am always collecting feathers, lichens and leaves. But one thing is always constant is that passion to experiment with either new colours, textures, imagery, or media! I love tactile work so I love to layer different papers, tape, photos, media and fasten with thread, wire, screws, brads, clips, grommets. 
 
I work mostly by intuition and I am astounded sometimes at the art I create. It seems so mysterious  how your hands just seem to have a mind of their own. Where does this come from??? 
I like to think it's Jazz's gift to me :)


5 comments:

lizzie said...

Lovely post Patti.
Love the new header as well.

lynne h said...

ah patti, i love everything you do...

xoxo

rivergardenstudio said...

What a beautiful post. I love seeing the sequence, how you are thinking about a theme for your book and your playing with textures. I especially am drawn to the second to last photo. So rich, I think I saw it before some of the layers? Thank you for being in this workshop. I agree with Lynne!!!
xoxo roxanne

Kimberly Jones said...

Your drawings are beautiful Patti, and I love the "Transform" collage! I'm a fellow student in TTTW, and it's a wonderful experience! I've been loving the work you've shared on the flickr group too.

Anonova said...

Love the faces, as always!