an awkward evolving

A grey day in Kentville this Monday morning, but it is mild.  We will go do some errands, a walk and possibly peek into some new places as it is Wally's day off.  This will do me good as I'm usually stuck at home, which has done me well for my creative work, but left me too isolated at times.

 



Driving out to our workshop yesterday morning, my new Nova Scotia friend, Pam, drove through Canning, and I couldn't resist another shot of Canning's Grande Old Dame. This time I noticed the eyelashes on her upper "eyes".

 

Pam stopped the truck for me to take this photo of eagles in a tree, the spotty female at the top. 

Like the previous house photo, it is  so amazing to see these sights even when poorly photographed. 

 

A sunny golden highlight on the trees as we ventured up the north mountain

coincidentally picked out the house of an acquaintance of \Pam's.

 

a funny donut of a cloud on a hill as we drove into  Ross Creek Centre for the Arts.

 

Megan Hepburn, our teacher, started us off with a very interesting slide show of the progression of her art which opened up my mind to the rich subtext of abstract art. As I write this, I suddenly am more aware of the abstraction of these blind contour drawings I did of Pam in the centre and Megan on the left.

 

 

I'm afraid I missed the point of our directive to use the selection of materials provided to make something that resonated from our blindfold experience of describing and/or identifying an assortment of objects Megan gave us. Really, I suppose we were to be combining 2D and 3D with our feelings about the objects, but I didn't quite get it.  Instead, I made flowers, thinking my feelings about the materials (mostly natural) and the subject (natural again) were the 3D and the colour was the 2D.

 





The top-mounted "flower" was made from rolled yellow tissue wrapped with unfurled twine and embellished with blue and turquoise gauzey fabric.

 

I cut a sponge to make this cartoon atomic flower with hot-glued a folded paper napkin in the centre, hot-gluing the whole thing to a tissue and fabric-wrapped dowel "stem".

 

Another gauze-wrapped tissue set in the middle of a folded napkin.

 

 I did enjoy the process, and expect, with my notes and some time for contemplation, I will digest more from this unusual class. Thank you Megan.



in the meantime...

this is what I've been doing

  

I've enjoyed playing with a muddied palette again

 



as my so-called doodle evolves

  

Somewhere long ago, I heard "the secret to youth is a flexible spine".  I think I would add to that, "a flexible mind". I certainly got stretched this weekend. And while it was uncomfortable at times, I am obliged to ask myself why I brought this into my life apart from the obvious reasons to get out of the house and known quantities.  I'm not one for extremes, so when I say "no pain no gain", I certainly mean in moderation.  From this we grow. I still think, as with the subtext to Megan Hepburn's abstract art, there is a subtext to the choices we make. Conscious or not, there is always a subtext.

 

 a sweet day to all