We
all have difficult paths to take during our lives. For me, the latest was a
diagnosis of epilepsy in my “vintage” years. What was a challenge was how
the medications affected what I treasured most – the act of creating in my
studio. The reason this became a challenge was because my usual way of
getting started with a new piece was finding a story within me to tell
visually. The pieces that emerged were usually explored on large canvases
and done with free abandonment. Moreover, the pieces were mostly based on
something not seen but felt, and then expressed in a visual form.
Now, however, I found the thought of large size to be a bit unnerving and, for
the first time, I wanted to work within a set boundary.
We surely find another dimension of knowledge as we experience a new path we find ourselves taking, and this one artistically revealed itself in a very interesting manner. My mind now seemed to want to puzzle out how to work on a small scale and make a fusion of line and shape. The small square pieces of paper I chose as my new medium seemed to challenge me to start with a single line and go from there within the paper’s borders – a puzzle to be solved, and a surprisingly relaxing one for me as this had never been something I had thought about before. Also, I had never done a self portrait, and the work that evolved from these efforts, which I call Zentangled, presented itself as a gift to me – a new way of exploring and expressing. The challenge going forward will be to embroider it into what came before, and to add yet another dimension of visual exploration and feeling into my art. A new journey; a new way of seeing; a new path to explore.
We surely find another dimension of knowledge as we experience a new path we find ourselves taking, and this one artistically revealed itself in a very interesting manner. My mind now seemed to want to puzzle out how to work on a small scale and make a fusion of line and shape. The small square pieces of paper I chose as my new medium seemed to challenge me to start with a single line and go from there within the paper’s borders – a puzzle to be solved, and a surprisingly relaxing one for me as this had never been something I had thought about before. Also, I had never done a self portrait, and the work that evolved from these efforts, which I call Zentangled, presented itself as a gift to me – a new way of exploring and expressing. The challenge going forward will be to embroider it into what came before, and to add yet another dimension of visual exploration and feeling into my art. A new journey; a new way of seeing; a new path to explore.
Zentangled. Archival black ink, mixed media
Zentangle #1. Archival black ink, mixed media
Zentangle #2. Archival black ink, mixed media
