Sweet To The Soul





I don't know whether I want to talk about "process" here, or PROCESS. lol By which I mean, the process by which I made this piece, or the processing I've been doing while making it.

As I said in my last post (and a couple of other posts, I think);  I've had some rather rebellious rumblings in the pot along the line of "what will you do with all of these 'really cool' fabrics and papers you're making? Are these just for the fun of it? If so, perhaps you should move on to more useful things!"

It's been a bit of a question for quite some time really.

Ever since I started experimenting with watercolour on fabric and paper (henceforward "fibers"), and kept producing these "Oh cool!" and "Oh, that's really beautiful!" fibers; but immediately upon the heels of doing so, I wondered "are these art in themselves, or do I need to incorporate them into art".




a detail of the 3 glass beads I used in this piece.
The light isn't right to show it, but that dark green one has a
wonderful glow!

For some of them, I still don't have the answer. Some of the papers and fabrics are so beautiful, that I think of some eco-dyed swaths of fabric that I sometimes see hanging at fiber art shows, that are in themselves art without a stitch or a bead or a breath added to them, and think that some of my fibers fall into that category.

Of course, I also have to admit that sometimes when I see those pieces, I want to grab them and stitch into them, or (gasp!) cut into them...and sometimes I sniff and think "that's not art!"  Ahem!

But my musings off and on about those fibers got me thinking about the stacks (and stacks!) of my hand painted papers that I have on hand. 

Those of you have been with me through all of my various iterations may remember that I made them in pursuit of my Paperwork" series back in 2010 and 2011; but except for brief occasions when I might grab "the perfect orange" fuse it and make some leaves (or similar); I haven't touched them since them.

So as I pondered, I thought, I really must get back to using some of those old ones while I think about how to use the new ones. 

And though I hadn't really sat and consciously thought about what to do with them, concurrently to the general question, I also had this idea rumbling around about incorporating a solid piece of paper  (?) or fabric (?) or new fibers (?) and one of the more colourful ones in different, but simple and really structured, ways. 

At first I thought I might do it as abstract art, hand stitch different types of lines across and through the disparate fibers, joining them together across the divide as a way of talking about the current political climate. 




But just lately, I've been thinking about that on a more personal level.

I've been considering how to join my two lives together. Pre-birth family, and post-birth family. I feel that a demarcation in my life has happened – a wall has fallen, or been lifted cleanly away – and my body and blood have chosen, without consulting my mind to step into a new life.

None of knows how are life will unravel, and no more do I, but do know that I am on a different path than I was before. I have veered: drawing BSP, former plans and my children in my wake.

It feels right that this has happened in spring – a time of renewal and re-birth, and so as I worked on this piece, thinking about all that has occurred and what may in future, a spray of apple blossoms appeared under my hand.  

The ancient Druids thought that the bee represented nuturing, community and family, and this must speak to something in me as my thoughts - and my studio! - are filled with honeybees as they have built a nest just under the eave above one of my studio windows. 

And so I imagine myself walking into a new future, trailing bees, apple blossoms and hope. 

"Sweet To the Soul" 
12 x 12 inches, 
mounted on a painted gallery depth canvas, 
available for $300


P.S. I finally found the "followers" gadget! If you'd like to follow along, please do! :)












Kit Lang

1 comment:

  1. Your new piece is so delicate...and so strong, all at once. Here on the Alberta prairie I have to wait some more weeks before my trees flower and hum...Blessings for spring!

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