Midge and Millie and Otis

The year has almost finished and I've left my blog in the dark about what I've been creating.  My journey this year has been a personal one through darkness that somehow doesn't seem to have a place here.  There aren't really words to put to the experiences anyhow.  Perhaps in the future, this journey will speak its way into my art.  But not now.  Now I'm focused on finding some light in the mess I've found myself in. 

My last post, I said I was hoping to finish up a few projects I'd taken on for other people, and then focus more on my own projects.  To some extent this has happened.  Many items were made, out of necessity rather than desire perhaps, but ultimately all the furniture, clothing and personal accessories that were made, were from my artistic self.  Making all that stuff I didn't wish to make for myself still taught me skills in can use again in future projects.  And hey, now I own a scroll-saw and a hammer drill--I'm an artist with power tools!!!!  Oh the possibilities... 

Making all that stuff I don't wish to make for myself/my home also gave me a bit of a selfish attitude when finishing up the projects other people had asked me for.  I looked upon the half finished projects with scorn and said "forget it, these people are getting my interpretation of their idea and if they don't like it then we're finished!".  So freeing it was to my muse to speak those words!  The projects endeared themselves to me, and I was able to shape them from my mind and heart rather than feel I had to make something a particular way because Mrs. Soandso described her vision as such.  If she didn't want my interpretation, she probably wouldn't have asked me to create it, right?  She knowing full well what my art often looks like...  The projects that just weren't working all of a sudden began to take shape!

Now, everyone's projects are finished.  All of them!  Most weren't photographed however.  I just wanted them out of my space and off to their homes a quickly as possible.  That and my camera broke.  Always something has to try to hold me back.  Oh well, we'll just have to deal with lousy photos here for a while until I can manage a new one.  My apologies. 

There are two projects recently finished that I can share.  Midge and Millie were created as a thank you gift for a woman who has restocked my studio with paint, lots and lots of paint, some other general craft items, and some more paint!  Midge lost her head a few times in the sculpting process, and I lost my temper with her more times than that.  We've parted on polite terms and they've taken up  residence with a woman who seems to love her more than I ever imagined she could be liked;  despicable little fairy....

After that was Otis.  Otis had been living in my sketchbook for years, and finally got to become a real owl, sculpted with polymer clay over a real egg,  when I needed to make a close friend's owl collecting wife a gift...my way of saying "thanks for letting me steal your husband and drag him 3000 mile away from you for 27 days cause my life's a mess and I need him; you're awesome".  I'm lucky to have had time with my friend and Otis is lucky to have travelled home to the UK in one piece.  Everyone is happy.