Is it possible? The last week has been a whirlwind of varying degrees of inspiration to work, work, work in the studio. Frustrated that my art supplies are either in an old painted lingerie dresser or in a dark closet, my husband insisted we head to Ikea to find storage that would work for me. In less than four minutes, I spotted the perfect tall glass-fronted cabinet. He insisted I buy two. So while it has put a kink in production in the sense that I must completely (ugh!) rearrange the furniture and (double ugh!!) take down everything on the walls, patch and paint those spots, then rearrange furniture more, the end result will be a markedly improved final work room.
On Wednesday, I took my first ever art workshop with Traci Bautista at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach. The class was entitled "Monotypes and Drizzles." I was terrified on arrival, worried that everyone would be better than me, that I'd be lost in terms of following instructions, etc. It was a real challenge for me, and stuff that is well outside the realm of what I do, but it was a great learning experience with a superbly patient and creative instructor. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the Friday class I'd signed up for, but did end up being able to return to see the actual quilt show and visit a few vendors and pick up some amazing fabrics, trims and threads for future projects. I watched people in workshops trying things new to them. We played like we did when we were little kids with artsy muck on our hands, wiping the goo on our shirts without a care in the world, and just had fun making something. For me, the something was painted papers - tissue, paper towels, copy paper. What fun.
Not to beat a dead horse, but I kept reminding myself of artist Lisa Vollrath's advice throughout the weekend. I stopped comparing myself and my art to everyone else and theirs, and really did become wildly inspired. I looked at the details of quilts and got new ideas, really thought about what I liked and what methods were used that were new to me. I found myself plotting projects, eager to try those new techniques. The experience was liberating instead of daunting. That's new for me.
Following the quilt show, my husband and I took his college buddy visiting from Iowa to the Laguna Arts Festival here in So Cal. Instead of focusing on the artists' commercial success and mentally beating myself up for not making enough effort, I really looked at techniques, thought about what attracted me to some pieces vs. others and found even more inspiration for future projects.
Today I am home alone, a rarity in this household. After racing through chores, I'll be finishing assembling the 2nd cabinet for the studio and patch the nail holes as I relocate the displayed art, all the while planning projects and jotting down notes and sketches while I work, enjoying the inspiration that consumed the weekend. There should be more days like this. I will make it happen instead of just waiting for that to happen.
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