Tuesday, August 23, 2011

"Just make Something"- Pics of the Process of Becoming Unstuck

Yup, that's a pic of a few assorted bottle tops. I've been washing them and setting them aside with the intention of doing Something. Just didn't have a clear idea of what that was. Yet, I had this feeling they really could be something. The feeling was one of those tickly, just on the edge of your consciousness ideas that flits to the fore briefly and then flits away before you can really grasp what it was you saw. But you know that for a moment you had something really really cool.

I feel like I've been a bit of a creative slacker lately. (My penance for claiming to be prolific a few weeks ago-as soon as I did I felt a creative block coming on strong). 

It's not like I don't know how to get out of a block. Generally I just sit myself down and make myself spend some time doing the no-thought- required prep work that can always be done. But it's been too easy to distract myself with housework or doing something with Jasper. I did finish up one of the suncatchers I started when we were taking the step by steps for the book. That didn't help a whole lot though.So the block has just sort of dragged on.

This weekend though I was determined to make something.Even if it was horribly, awfully, awful. So after I played with my background I pulled out my bottle caps and arranged them with some wire on the canvas. Then I played around with some fabric, deciding what to use, which is what I was doing when I took this pic.

Decisions... decisions...

To attach the bottle lids I punched holes around their sides with my crop-a-dile and then stitched them in place. The wire forms were stitched on as well. Then I decided to go all out and really add some stitching as well as some big items I love. So I glopped on a ton of gel medium and added the paintbrush and carpenter's ruler as well as some buttons.The piece ended up looking like this....which I like. 

All done... now what?
I still feel a little stuck though and haven't any more bottle caps but I am teaching a mixed media class tomorrow night at The Studio at Rush Creek and teaching always gets my creative juices flowing. I love the energy, the possibilities that come up as I'm introducing others to mediums or techniques. Their enthusiasm inevitably fuels mine. I would love to have anyone who's interested join us. And thank you for reading my mish mash of thoughts today. I hope you have a wonderfully, fabulously, unstuck and utterly creative kind of day today. Hoping to see you soon.  :)

3 comments:

Jill said...

I love the art that you made! I never would have thought to use bottle tops...I will have to try that, I throw them into the recycling all the time! I wish I could come to one of your classes! maybe someday! You are a really great writer, does writing ever help you to feel unstuck? I hope you feel better soon, and I still think you are prolific, but I hope my saying so doesn't make it worse. =)

Cre8tiveQueen said...

So funny, I've got zipper bags FULL of bottle caps as well... because I want to do something with them, I don't want to throw them in the garbage! And I've got my mom washing and collecting them for me too!
I've been kind of stuck lately too! Usually a walk in nature or meditating helps me! This piece is great... I would have never known you were stuck!
Hope the class puts you on a new vibe =)
XOX
Nat

Sonja Milojevic said...

Sorry, I commented to the wrong post. Silly me! But I love everything you make! :)