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| ART CLOTH (4x6) "LISTEN AND LEARN" - NFS |
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Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (James 1:19)
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ART MEMORIES - STORYTELLING
BEFORE PHOTO _________________________________EXPLORING (process of becoming): I started with a vintage library index card as my substrate. I added one of my original monoprints (from my green color scheme) that was created using acrylic paints on a half sheet of copy paper, printed on a Gelli plate. I also included a snippet of my original artwork titled "Process of Becoming" which I had digitally printed on linen fabric. It had some Kantha stitching (hand embroidery) using Wonderfil Thread, Spaghetti (12 wt) white thread to calm down the intense saturation of color. You can see in the BEFORE picture some beautiful recycled green color fabric strips and trim bits that were gifted to me by a dear lovely artisan friend named Gae Sharp-Richardson. One of the bits was taken from the deconstruction of a rag rug. To learn more about Gae and her artwork you can visit her Facebook page Happenstance on 7th where she shares images of her creative reuse art.  |
Geli printed papers with recycled threads sewn down using my Bernina 300 series sewing machine.
What is Kantha stitching - embroidery? Kantha work is usually done with running stitches, but there are variations to this embroidery that uses other stitches too. I am new to the world of embroidery so running stitches are a fun way to stitch meditate and slow down my thought process on a busy day. Helps me to listen to what's happening in my body. If I'm anxious, like lately at doctor appointments, I pull out a small remnant of fabric and get to slow stitching with a needle and threads. Listening to my body is a very important process I have taken for granted for many years. I turned 50 this year and I am now learning to be more mindful of my mind, body, and soul connection. My daily art discipline for my soul care begins with dwelling in the Word (discovering the Scriptures) where I discover the passage after reading it several times. Then I explore the passage by art journaling using prompt questions like "what word(s) are weighing heavy on my soul? What images, themes, or actions are illuminating an awareness of changes that are actively occurring in my mind, in my body, in my soul that might be tapping into my emotions? Any aches and pains that are being manifested? I journal a bit then I explore being in a quiet place by hand stitching. Exploring how my hands feel as I thread the needle and pass it through a variety of fabrics or mixed media papers provides me a release of stress, anxiety or suppressed negative energy. Slow stitching, running stitches in a mindful way where I'm not focused on perfect stitched rows or final outcome allows me to be creative without judgement. I find that I learn much about myself by reviewing and reflecting on what expressions of mark makings I have sewn through the exploration process. Some days I sew many tiny stitches when I'm feeling very rigid and confused about details of my life. Other days I find I create with large stitches, using bold, thick Wonderfil Threads from the Sue Spargo collections. Not all days are slow stitch days, some days my energy is so overwhelming that I must release them by making pathways of stitching using my sewing machine. Some days I sew with my sole motivation is to feel my hands move quickly as fabric passes under the moving needle and I make curves, and crossing straight lines. A nest of sorts on the top of the fabric surface so it creates a new texture with a variety of threads couched down by a simple white thread. I mask my slow Kantha stitches under this explosion of running stitches. The art cloth revealed is not always beautiful but it is part of my story.  The top fabric in neutral tones of green and blue is from my ALCHEMY remnants stash, handstitched inspired by the Kantha stitched fabric bits (seen laying side by side in the background) that Gae gifted me during our swap in 2022. ENJOYING (spiritual wellness): What I've learned through today's creative exploration, and mark-making, inspired by the Word (James 1:19) is that my soul care and creative growth require patience, sacrifice, and forgiveness. I cannot achieve what I desire on my first attempt if I rush the process of becoming. There are days when I need to slow down and listen to my soul process of creating art cloths. To make sure I'm mindful of my fingers and my breathing. That I not make this art discipline "work" but instead receive it as good news as I would receive any other medicine for my soul. I learn to not become upset with myself and not to lose my peace. Nothing will become of my creative process if I lash out at myself with words of disappointment and judgement. I learn to surrender the idea of perfection and forgive myself when things don't result as I desire them. I learn that beauty can come from the sacrifice of things once labeled as "the perfect stitched fabric". The end result of this daily practice was that I sacrificed my Kantha stitches so that the harmonious color scheme of the green textiles would be the main focus. I was listening to the color balance of the art cloth as it came together. My machine stitching was done in white thread to allow for a muted energy of movement to travel from the soil to the faintly stitched shoot outline to the left of the words LISTEN AND LEARN. Can you see the movement? I was aware of the release of negative energy but I did not want to scream by using a bold thread color. I was not ignoring my struggle to be calm and slow down; instead I made the conscious decision to not allow it to overpower the process and thus create a dramatic contrast with my color palette of greens, yellows and other warm muted tones. How different this art cloth would of turned out if I had changed the thread to a thick (12 wt) RED color thread. Peace sometimes is found in the middle of chaos. Engaging in daily soul care, mental health and wellness is part of a ChangeMAKER's lifestyle. Thank you for reading my story, I pray it may encourage you to LISTEN AND LEARN. ~ Blessings, Sandra ______________(CHANGEMAKERS)______________ |
www.alchemydee.com
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