Oh so fast

Is it me or does time go so much faster, we don't have time to do the things we love.  Or is it that I am not making the time for the things I love doing? I think sometimes that it's all going to end I won't have it finished.  So many started projects so much lost interest in them.  What do you do?  Start something new.  I keep telling myself that I am going to start working on the website and I am going to work on writing the blog and I don't.  I would love to kill my TV and my computers so many distractions from what I find most joyful. 

It's not that I don't spend most of my time down in the studio it's that I spend my time: trying to get inspired to work on that quilt that I designed and wanted to teach, trying to work on those things that someone has asked me to do for them.  I want to do them, just not now.  I want to have 100 things going at one time and get them all done.  All the idea's that dance and spring through my mind. The things that give my soul joy. 

I am reminded of the line from the musical Rent "the opposite of war isn't peace it's creation", I am at war with time and time seems to be at war with me.  Creation gives me peace and joy, it makes me smile.  I know that I take things I have done into work and show them, R thinks it's for approval, although approval is nice and I don't always get it, I am doing it to say "Look at this Look at what I did I think its cool, amazing, awesome and sometimes awe inspiring.  I do it because I have not given up on the dream I have dreamed of since I was young.  Sometimes the only dream I remember from being young, that I want to be an ARTIST.

I want to say here I am I have made it, I am known well would rather my work be known.  So I never stop believing in me in my abilities and in us R and I because as I told him on the day I said for ever "together we can do anything".

Worked on a few more thing today. 

So this is Keeping it together 2.  I however had taken it apart and reworked it.  I have to say that I loved using the zipper around the picture as part of the piece.  My keeping it together series is representative of my feeling sometimes that I am falling apart at the seams and I have to keep it together just another day.  My next one is either buttons or this stuff that I really don't know what it's called and I suppose it doesn't matter as long as it keeps it together.  Blessings to all.

I thought I would start showing some of the things I have worked on.  Maybe a bit about them.  This is a small quilt, the canvas it is mounted on is 8x8 it was stamped with flowers that well not that great but so a sheer piece of fabric is over the top of that.  Each flower was printed on a laser jet after being manipulated color wise on the computer.  The four squares are pieced together and have been hand stiched and beaded. 

Have really been working on lots of new ideas.  Rusting fabric is so cool.  The mono printing fabric some of it is great others don't like so much.  Learning as I go.  Collecting cans now so that I can emboss them.  Who knew mom bought a new toy I could use for making artwork, and recycling at the same time.  Thanks Mom.
The GnomeKing has been helping me make silkscreens.  We are doing these not with silkscreen material yet.  We are using fabric and modepoge to do the work.  I am doing originals, he has been trying some things off the cricket.  We have both been spending lots of time in the studio working away.  Hope to get some of the art and quilts on the website shop soon.  Plus get some of the Gnomes work in progress.  Think you'll find it cool. 

Peace and Love to all.

So, it's of course been to long since I have blogged.  I thought I might start adding pictures of things every now and then.  This is Keeping it together 1.  I remember at the quilt guild in San Fransisco when we had a speaker who showed quilts of hers that were well I thought not my liking.  Now after all these years I understand.  She talked about how this huge quilt with this one little block plan square was how she was feeling boxed in.  I thought how strange to think of quilting and therapy together. 

Like I said, I get it.  This quilt was made when we were going through a rough patch.  We were leaving our home to move in with my mother to take care of her.  When she needed us to be there.  I felt stretched and pulled apart and I kept thinking, I just have to keep it together.  Well I did and we all survived. 

I remember how in High School I got an F in art class because I told the teacher he didn't know what it was to be an artist. I said and I quote "art is not you being pushed through me it is me pushing through me"  I guess sometime we need to relearn lessons, even one's we taught ourselves. 

I have been searching for these last few weeks, trying different things to see what moves me what I feel pushing out of me.  I keep thinking well I have this or that to finish and I want to drag myself make to those so that they can be done.  I am starting to think that if I won't finish it because I am sick of it, it will never be completed. 

So for today I go back to just keeping it together.

October 29, 2012

OK night two, so far so good. I have just attempted my second of thirty days of new things.

Tonight’s was to make a homemade stencil as seen on Quilting Arts TV...Season 1 show 1. I don't think I used the correct interfacing. Will know when it dries tomorrow. I am hoping that it didn't work in a way.. It's very thick. I used the thickest interfacing I had. I think a bit thick. So will have to see what we get tomorrow. I figure most of the first few weeks is going to be fabric alterations. What I mean to say is that I am going to alter the appearance of fabric make it different and useable. I had already started with this bright green and bright pink (I so am not a pink kind of guy) and rusted it. Keep making more because I am going to end up making a quilt with just those two fabrics.

I love the way they are turning out. Once I get the whole blogging with pictures I promise to add to it. So you can see what I am doing. OK so calling it a night. T-shirt quilt was worked on for a while and I got to keep to my schedule. Still have 1 more t-shirt quilt to do after this one and then Chunnel Teddy Bears for the Nieces and on Nephew. Making the Chunnel was a breeze but long process and still don't have it mastered. But this is thirty days of trying new things and perfecting things that I want to be doing over and over again.

Peace be with you

Darnell

October 28, 2012

My plan is to start blogging for thirty days. Every day hoping to talk about what new things I am trying out, with luck I will keep it up. I don't officially start until November 1, 2012, however with a holiday and some things always popping up. I am starting today. Since I use October 31 as my start of the New Year I figure I am close enough. So tonight I did mono printing I am going to have to learn the words for what I am actually doing mono printing is one color if I am not mistaken...checking Wikipedia, yeah I was wrong. It is a one print as opposed to doing multiple runs of the same thing. No two will be alike.

So got this gel mat, it's from Geli Arts (tm). Have to say it was kind of fun. Will be doing lots more of it, I can tell.

We, Roger the Gnome King and I are still trying to figure out the website. The pictures our friend the professional took we can't seem to get loaded to the site. Never fail, we know people smarter with this stuff than us.

I want to get all the T-shirt quilts done for the family members that I am doing. I want to start creating new stuff. I guess I ramble. Hey I guess that’s my thing.

Peace and Blessings to all.