Saturday, February 07, 2009

Epiphany

Recently, I had an epiphany while driving. I do most of my thinking while driving or showering. It is while I am doing something mindless. That is when I do my best thinking. I know why I love to work with metal especially copper. I often feel the need to take things apart and to assemble them again in a different way. I NEED to put things together. I am very mechanical. I am very visual and tactile. It was not until recently that I started working with fabrics and doing art quilts. I have been mostly a collage artist until then. I have been a technique junkie - in search of more knowledge. Feeling the need to do more and different things. Strangely, I do not feel such a need with fabrics/textiles. It may be that I know so much more because of the paper arts. I can transfer a lot of that over. I had the revelation the other day that I love working with fabrics because I love the COMFORT involved with working with fabrics. I love the visuals involved with fabrics. I love the vibrants colors of the batiks and the handmade fabrics. I love coloring my own muslins. I am also a very tactile person. I love running my fingers through the soft flannels and through the different textures of textiles/fibers. I even love the different threads. It feeds my different tactile needs. I feel "comfort" when I am sitting at the sewing machine. I do feel a little "frustration" when I can't get the thread through the needle and I have to find the threader thing. That is only momentary though. Yeah, I am usually not a "deep" person and don't do a lot of reflecting. What can I say. It is a long drive to and from Cicero and Aurora every day.

Do you know why you do the art that you do? I also know why I don't like doing certain kinds of art. There are still a few things that I would like to try but don't have the time or money to do it. What about you? Just a few things for you to think about.

2 comments:

Beth said...

Hi Belinda,

I am alot like you. I have a long drive to my school and back every day and I think alot about my art and what direction I am being pulled in. I love working with jewelry and also fabric. I still do alot of mixed media with paper too, but jewelry and fabric effect me more now.
I wanted to tell you that I read your article on the CPS digital magazine. Its the one where you made the fabric hearts and put them in the distressed box.
I am going to make some hearts like that out of an old quilt that I have cut the sqaures out of.
I Just wanted to say thanks for the inspiration that you give to all of your followers. I read your blog alot but don't comment much.
Just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your talent!
Thanks!
xoxooxoxoxo

Rosie said...

I think while I'm cooking (a good thing my family is forgiving!!) and I have notebooks in different parts of the house because I have too many ideas! I too, am addicted to fabric. I quite agree with you about the comfort of touch and feel... and I love the fact that art quilting is about more than squares, diamonds and neat edges, because they don't tick my boxes at all.
The only thing I really, really want to try is the metalwork... and it's all your fault!!