Three Things I Love Today

#1. The Dumpster Project - When forced to downsize his huge collection of memorabilia/salvaged art supplies, Artist Mac Premo did so by creating a walk-in collage in a 30-foot dumpster, lovingly documenting and eulogizing its contents on his Dumpster Project blog. Beautiful, touching, and funny.

#2. This quote, from Winston Churchill: Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.

#3. Collaboration. What a fun way to bring great people closer to you, to get inspired, and to expand your creative horizons. Here's a poster I recently designed in collaboration with my thirteen-year-old nephew:

Four's the Charm

Finally! I've tried four times to scan this painting, which I must do in pieces. I stitch the pieces together in Photoshop, as my scanner isn't quite big enough to do it all in one shot. Twice my software crashed, the third time the computer crashed, and now, computer repaired and software restored, I can happily report: Success! 

Dreams/Spores (or The Residue of Dreaming)
gouache on 100% cotton paper
18" x 24"

Apparently sometimes you have to go at it repeatedly before you succeed. Fours the charm, I suppose. Which makes me wonder, what else have I tried and failed that is worth another attempt, or perhaps three? A lot of things. Hmm...

Work in Progress

Unfinished painting

That title refers to this painting, my battle with cancer (more about that here), my book proposal (I'm working on a cookbook - more about that here), and many many other things.

Though of course I eagerly anticipate wrapping up many of these ongoing projects, there are many more waiting in the wings. I do not doubt that when I die, I will leave many an open loop.

I would have it no other way.

Creatures

I've been thinking about dreams, about bad dreams in particular, where primordial creatures represent our deepest fears. Someone recently told me about such a dream, and it reminded me of all the similar dreams I've had over the years. Which brings me to this painting, and my thoughts and feelings making it - how those beings in my dreams represent not only my own fear but my own strength, my ability to fight on my own behalf.

I think we all have strengths untapped, inner dragons and demons and sloths, layer upon layer of them, that can be our most loyal and steadfast allies, if only we turn our unflinching attention their way.

Patternalia Continues

There are other creative projects in the works, but right now, my weekly pattern regimen is the anchor. Here's this week's installment, moving toward eclectic simplicity:

I was going to make color variations but my computer crashed last night and I lost the working files. For now, this will have to suffice.

And here's another twist on the Morning Glory theme:

Patternalia

Morning Glory

In my last entry, I gave myself an assignment: a series of textile patterns within the same nine-color palette, one each week.

Okay so I'm behind a week. Sue me.

Better yet, let me make it up to you with an extra pattern and a few color variations.

And here's this week's bonus pattern:

Amish Bubbles

Assignment: Pattern

Honeycomb

Daisy chain.

My chosen colors.

I am giving myself an assignment to design a collection of textile patterns. Eight patterns in all using the same color palette. And then I'll make versions of the same collection using two other color palettes.

I think they will all be very clean, geometric designs, with bold color interaction.

There are a couple of sketches. Nothing final yet.

It took me a little while to settle on a series of colors that inspire me and work well together. I chose nine colors.

My goal is to add a pattern a week to the collection. We'll see how that goes...