Why do they sing

I may be about to go quiet here. 

Circus of Js

Hello January!
I tell you that big goose egg on the head on Christmas day shook something loose and before it went away I was in fast and furious stream of thought inspiration mode. I love when that happens. 

Well it just so happens the inspiration had a deadline which was Sunday, and I have had my head down and fingers designing, drawing, stitching, painting, cutting and waxing since the eve of the Epiphany. That's actually when it all started.

First, you need one fact of the matter. Here it is. Sometime in February, I am going to be a Great Grandmother. 

Of course, I have known this for quite a long time but I have been on-again-off-again about making a baby blanket. All through the month of December I knew if I was going to make one, I should get started. Then I would think, "no I don't have time." Then shame and guilt about that. And so it goes.

I really wanted to be stitching in the chair but the dread of the cloth explosion that happens in both studios was more than I wanted to deal with.

Anyway, I now realize that I just didn't have the inspiration passion. Therefore, I didn't have the passion to make the blanket. I made Ashley an elephant blanket before she was born, and I'm ready for her to be the keeper of that one now. However, she doesn't think it is boy enough for her soon-to-be, Jordyn.

Somehow, on Tuesday the 5th, I came to realize, I needed to make a new elephant blanket. I had to stew with it a little bit and then I drug out the cloth and sure enough the explosion happened. I had twenty days. The fact that it took me 5 years to make Tim's cloth was irrelevant because I could feel the passion building. 

I couldn't start immediately as I had an appointment early morning on the 6th and so I could only do what I do. In my head. Another explosion. 

Another fact; Josh and Ashley are adding a baby Jordyn to the blended family of Joshua, Jalynn, Jazzlyn, Jaclynn, and Jasyk. 

Here I go. In my head, I started an elephant list. 
For example, 

• Jelly and Jambo the peanut butter spreaders
• Juggle and Jar the milk shakers
• Jibbber and Jabber the chatter bugs
• Jingle and Jangle the bell ringers
• Jupiter the star gazer
• Jogger the memory keeper, etc etc. 

Then while still in my head and unable to get started, I thought about how I made a book for Tim to go with his Tim's Cloth. Bingo! (never mind only 19 days and counting)

I must make a book for soon-to-be baby Jordyn. The first thing that popped into my head was an altered board book. I have a stack of them form years ago. The first one I pulled out was Circus, Circus! Do you believe on the last page was a parade of elephants? Oh gee! The elephant blanket, as well as, the book now has a name. Circus of Js.

I spent Wednesday afternoon designing my elephant and planning the cloth and getting started. The last bit of inspiration came Thursday before rising and shinning and it excited me the most. I realized the elephant trunks that I had designed looked like a "J". It all came together because in my head I could not see where to put the names of each on the cloth. 

I just love when inspiration trickles in like this.

Here is the Circus of Js cloth. Although it was not quiet finished, it was giftable. As soon as I finish the rest of the quilting stitching, I will show and share more. 

 In the meantime, here is the book, Circus of Js.

 Designing.

Before starting in the book, I made a book mock-up and planned the pages mostly to see if I could get what was in my on the book. 

Showing here the original page with my version in progress. I fully intended to paint that ball on his foot. Also, you might notice in the final version below that his red toe nails were painted out.  

I liked some of my mock-up sketches more than the ones that showed up in the book.  

Juju the adventure dreamer and Jetty the wall maker. 

Love this page.

Here they all are. Of course, Josh is the Ring leader and Ashley the spirit maker with Jordyn the magic maker. Josh the brother, Jalynn the helper, Jaz and Jaclynn the sisters and Jasyk the fun maker. 

The end. 

Acapella Solo in the attic

I sat without a brush in my hand many rainy days just waiting for something.

Then one day when the rain stopped, I put on my rain boots and walked the long way around the tank dam to The Garden Palace. I needed to go and sit in the attic studio. And I needed to cut more cardboard cells for the grid. 

I was excited about a bit of inspiration that floated by while looking at Alissa's painting. It was the windows. When I saw them I knew immediately windows would be a perfect addition to the choirs in The Grid. 

Each cardboard cell has to be measured and cut for a specific spot. So, I decided where I would paint the first window. Being there made the window vision so much clearer. I measured and cut these three cells and returned to the studio in the big house.

I don't know what happened but I didn't even argue with her. I haven't mentioned her in a long time and every since this argument, I mostly just listen and paint.

Well actually, I do know what happened. I discovered two new artist of the Art Nouveau period. Charles Rennie Mackintosh and wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. 

Painting "flat" without depth doesn't satisfy me so much. But once I got my brave girl attitude together and picked up my Chinese calligraphy brush, I started adding the black layer of lines. What fun that was once I got the hang of it. I think this soloist waiting for her acapella moment in the attic grid is a great addition to the choirs up there.

I'm still excited about the windows in the attic grid and you know what? There are many more perfect places for windows.

About The Grid

And this thing I do "in my head."

A dear friend told me one time that I just needed to get out of my head. I don't remember why she told me that. Honestly, I really did not know what she meant. 

So, I got "in my head" to try to understand what that was about. It has taken me a long time to recognize when I do that "in my head" thing and maybe even why.

Simply put, I am a problem solver. And I do it in my head. All the time. It never stops. On and on and on. Constant over thinking. The only way to stop it is to proceed by going forward in some small or big way.

I problem solve everything. I do it for me. I do it for you. I do it for my children. I do it for my dear husband. I can't stop it but I have learned to keep it to myself. They all appreciate that.

This is The Grid. On this day dear Son and I installed the floor in the attic. Here he is brainstorming with me outside my head.

The problem:

• What or how to cover the ceiling.
• The screws holding the tin on the roof were dangerously protruding.
• Every cell of the grid is a different width and height.
• Did not want to do anything that would make it dark.
• Did not want to cover the vertical wood.

There are 198 cells in The Grid. He saw it as an opportunity for art painted for each cell. WOW! That he thought of it blew me away.

The problem:

• On what
• How to attach
• The protruding screws would still need to be snipped off

And so on and on and on. Each one of those bullet points leads me down more problem paths to solve.  You get the point. On this day I was lucky enough to have someone outside of my head.

Most of the time it is just me going down every problem path until there is a fork in the path. Before every fork there is a new obstacle. Each path is a new solution. And then more obstacles. And more solutions. And so it goes.

Eventually, it has to stop! The solutions become complicated, time consuming, costly, and impossible. The solution becomes a chore that is no longer something to look forward to. I have learned to turn around and go back and simply remove all of the obstacles because after all, "they were just in my head".  I figured out what "in my head" means.

It means, I have come up with so many solutions or options that it all turns to muddled mush. It is confusing and I feel totally disorganized and defeated.

So about The Grid. I spent about five month in my head after brain storming with my dear Son. Then I ordered five bundles of 36" X 48" heavy duty cardboard that had to be delivered on an 18-wheeler that would not be able to turn off of the farm-to-market road into our drive. Yep another problem to solve.   

Before I started painting the above last November titled, "Who are These People", I resolved that I would only use pastle colors. I would not use collage. I would not paint faces.

And then, the first piece I painted had faces. And then, when I picked the piece up again in March, I reasoned that napkins would not add weight so I collaged. And then I worked on four other cells before putting it down again and more phantom faces showed up. I will share those when Installed.

And then, I went back "in my head" until this past Sunday. I spent a lot of time thinking about what to paint. I was unsure if each cell should relate to the one next to it. I thought I wanted to paint in a more abstract fashion. I thought each cell would have a floral theme. I even reasoned that each cell could be a journal page.

But. I did not want to paint a mural. I considered several ways each cell could relate without becoming a mural. I know nothing about abstract and there was a little voice that kept saying, "now is not the time with a project of this magnatude."  After painting the flowers on the floor cloth, I became unsure about that idea. And you know and I know that I simply suck at journaling. Yep, time to turn around again.

So basically, I came to terms with painting faces on the ceiling by first accepting the phantom people that showed up in the first cells and deciding to accept their presence up in the peak of the ceiling. I was fully expecting more to show up and would welcome them.

I was still in my head Saturday when I thought to revisit my big book on Gustav Klimt and his work titled, The Beethoven Frieze.

I absolutely love the sections with the horizonally floating figures who appear to move their hands in front of them as if swimming. They blend into the gray fresco wall. Not that I was going to create anything like that, I was very excited with inspiration and to get my brushes in my hand.

Sunday morning, I walked into the dark living room with my big piece of cardboard that I had painted a dove gray and white background on. I had a tiny piece of charcoal in my hand and I pulled out the piano bench and sat down across the room from the very large painting I did a couple of years ago. It is the one with the five girls with flower head pieces. I sat in the darkness with purpose so I could not see much detail. I just wanted to quickly sketch the shapes and placement of the girls. But the mood of the dark room transported me back to a sketch exercise assignment that Misty gave during my first trip to Orvieto. She had us scatter throughout the convent and I chose the enormous dark ballroom where the only light was from huge windows that cast warm rays across the floor.

In my own dark living room, I felt the peace of the room and the confidence to paint. It excited me and I sat down and just did it. There were no obstacles and I restrained myself from perfection and details because, for one thing, when installed in the peak of the ceiling, it can never be viewed any closer that about six feet or so. Another thing, with 198 cells in the grid, my mission is to be quick about it. And, I'm not going to get into my head about what quick means. 

When I turned around

On Stage Now

The Red Wicker Chair

 According to my Intention Journal, I painted the wicker chair red on July 13th. 

The wicker chair project never got to take a bow.

Here is the before as shown in the Project by Project post on April 6th.

This post is about something else.

It is about something that sometimes just plain dumbfounds me. 

I finished painting the drop leaf table on May 25th and she officially took a bow on June 15th.

 I was dumbfounded.

It was when I turned around while taking photos of the new floor cloth.

I saw for the first time the connection between the table and chair. 

Flabbergasted.

Amazed.

I was alone but I was speechless for a moment. 

And then I heard her say, "It's about time you let me and my red curls take a bow on your stage."

When I Turned Around

I am totally aware of being influenced by my surroundings but when I discover it has come through my subconscious, that dumbfounds me.

Inspiration feeds Inspiration

Inspiration feeds Inspiration

I don't really know what that means.

Prayer Book

 Inspiration feeding inspiration is something that I feel. 

I feel it when painting and I feel it when stitching.

The only way I can explain it is knowing that if I take the first stitch or the first brush stroke, inspiration will come for the next stitch or stroke and so on and so on. 

The term, blind faith, just came to me.

I looked for a definition and found:

Blind Faith

Definition:  belief without true understanding, perception, or discrimination

I think that is what it is; believing and trusting a beginning inspiration.  

Prayer Book Bird

Oh dear! 

I got way off track with that. 

I simply wanted to share the beginning of this little prayer book.

and 

to say that you can follow me on

Instagram

or

this rabbit hole that I recently fell through.

Pinterest

♥

Take time to look at No 89

Face No 89 is 1.25 inch square

I have a lot to say about No 89 and hope that I can express my thoughts, as well as, show behind the scene of painting No 89. 

The first thing you should know, she is small. I never counted this one in the dime-zone, however, she is one and a quarter inch square....more or less. I just checked and she could be considered quarter-zone (meaning her face can be covered by a quarter).

The next thing you should know is she is painted on the one text-place-holder out in the middle of the blank space surrounded by the dime-zone.

While painting one hundred  eighty eight faces, there has been a lot of time for thoughts to swirl around. More than once, I worked myself into a frenzy about what to paint where. In other words, some of the place-holders seemed more important than others. 

This one is a fine example of that. Right out in the middle. Alone. In my mind, she would stand out and needed to be special in some way. She demands to be seen because of her placement away from the crowd.

All of these thoughts are swirling along with wondering when the time would come to paint on this special spot. While I was curious, I held onto the plan to be intuitive about when and what.

While resting in the chair zone several days ago, I flipped through the pages of a W magazine just looking at faces.

reference for face 89

This one jumped out at me. I bookmarked the page and kept flipping. Then yesterday, after a great afternoon nap, I woke thinking it was time to paint No 89. I sat down at the easel and stared at the board wondering what face would show up today. 

Then, I picked up the W magazine and opened it to the bookmarked page. 

I had forgotten about her.

BAM!

It all made perfect sense to me. 

Straight forward pose.

Confrontational.

Demanding.

Exactly the pose that should stand alone, away from the crowd, surrounded by the dime-zone faces. 

I get thrilled when these things become so clear to me while painting.

beginning first sketch

First I decided to give the text square a background layer of white. After the first swipe of white, I stopped and painted all except the middle with black.  Then, went over the black with white leaving a black border edge. I continued with thin layers of white and really liked the result.

I did purposely paint the chin line. However, the face that you can see under the first pencil marks is coincidental.

I love when a face emerges even before I get going!

I laid down some pencil marks to guide me with the feature placement. 

iPhone reference

However, as you can see, the face covers the whole page and is very awkward to paint a quarter size face from a big magazine page. 

Instinktively, I picked up my iPhone and decided to crop out the part I was not going to paint. When I did this I realized that I could paint from my iPhone instead of the magazine.

editing reference

When I chose the square aspect mode, it dawned on me that I could use the lines to help with the sketch.

I kept a screen shot to paint from.

And do you remember the 1/3 rule? 

Of course, that is where I lined up the eyes.

layout for sketch

I erased my first bit of pencil marks and started over.

new sketch

Once I am deep into the zone of painting, I forget to stop and take photos. 

I was loving the result of every brush stroke. 

And, thinking about how often I do love every stage but feel it is unfinished and keep going. 

Somewhere along the way with her, I made a decision to "not" keep going. 

The very next thought was to leave off any color. 

In other words, wouldn't she be more special and different and demanding if she was painted in black and white.  

painting with iPhone reference in hand

she gets her number

When I am finished, I give them their number. 

They are too small for a signature and it just seems like the number is my signature.

The final touch. 

Face 89 in the scheme of 100 faces

But wait!

face no 89

I went back and looked at the magazine reference. 

Suddenly, the word jumped off the page!

Throughout this whole project, if you were talking to me about it I would tell you that my whole point in painting these many tiny faces all together on one piece of art was to get you to stop, get close and linger over the painting.

I want you to Look around the whole board at each and every face.

I want you to choose a favorite.

I want you to make comments about the ones that speak to you. 

I want you to see what I see.

I want you to see what I don't see. 

I just want you to Look and take it all in.

Take time to Look.

No 89 demands that you Look!

♥