It's funny what inspires me to get back to making art. I've spent the last week freaked out about keeping the house tidy. It's dumb, but I've had a constant parade of electricians and contractors from our garage renovation tromping through the house (the access to our attic is via a drop-down ladder in the hallway) and I just can't stand the notion of anyone seeing it messy. Back pain or not, I'm determined to keep the place decent and focused more on folding laundry and vacuuming (sorry, doctor, it had to be done) than smooshing clay or sewing.
At the end of each of their work day here, I head out to the garage to check on the renovation progress. The first day, I noticed the end cuts of the lumber used to frame the roof and immediately thought of using them as bases for my figurative work or for slicing to make wood ATC's or carve for stamping/printing. The next day I was throwing out the trash and appreciating that the crew clean up after themselves every day, but I spotted all the copper wire they threw out and did my own version of dumpster diving. Who knows what I'll find this afternoon?!? I can find inspiration in a hardware store :-) Finding ways to include odds and ends into an art piece is almost more fun than the clay work or painting.
The sketch book is back out and I'm drafting ideas for the next piece. For additional fun, I've decided to paint a toddler-sized rocking chair for the next benefit auction. I like having two projects going so I can switch between the two when one is giving me a hard time or I hit a creative block on the other. Oh, happy day.
