old blogs

Ive found my old blog and think to transpose it here. Reading through my old words and finding old images I would like to contain them within this space so I'll start moving them across this week.

It surprises me how much of what I've written still has relevance to what I think and do now. My collages have moved from wall mounted pieces to journal covers and I like that my work has become a personal journey.

I've been working on my jester's story for several years now and have produced 2.5 haiku and three collages - still a work in progress!

Images to ponder

This is a random image from my drawings and the one I want to ponder this week. starting from the obvious; I am one of three sisters one of whom is dead. She was living when I made this image so I'm assuming it concerns the relationship between the three of us.

I am the oldest and it was and is my responsibility to look after my sisters

more about the art therapy journal

The cover for this journal is progressing.

I was unable to spray paint outside  - its been raining so much I fear the ceiling may falter but it hasn't.

yesterday the sun shone so I got started on the fastening straps for the cover, I'm not yet sure how they will fasten but will wait until I attach them and allow them to tell me how best they fasten.

The long strips of cardboard came from one of the racks at Ikea when I was there with Marion and found them lying between the bales of disembodied furniture. I put them in our trolley but there was no charge for them.

They will be covered next with ripped vintage kimono silk and allowed to explain to me how they will fasten to the folder.

I have a passion for degraded corrugated cardboard - it sings to me and tells me of its need to be journal covers and  folders. I find scraps of it on my footpath travels and bring them how - weather does extraordinary things to this material.

I still have some I found in Pompeii. After climbing a fence and rummaging between fallen rocks  it embarrassed me a little in the gift store when snails fell out  into the poster bin. Poor relocated refugee snails!

So here's the cover

gutter treasure

Whilst I am still beguiled by rusty bottle tops and collect them regularly I have found a new treasure and this one is curious making on several levels.
Firstly, I have no idea what they are and what purpose they serve.

Secondly, now I have begun to notice them I see them more frequently. I'm not sure if that's because there are increasingly  more of them or that now they have come into my notice I see them whereas before they slipped in a Foucaultian manner passed my awareness.

So I collected them and kept them on the table in my study by the other treasures of the gutter. Also I began to show them to people and ask if they knew what they were.

So far nobody knows but Tracey sent me this image in an email and Richard tells me they are used in packaging.
So I continue to collect them and ask for new information and  also begin to weave meanings; possible meanings of their origins and functions and await enlightenment!

 

Mostly when I recycle stuff I want to burn and rip - tear and  remake into a collage but I have become interested also in the gentler arts of recycling.

I volunteer at the local op shop (thrift store) and much of what we cannot sell is moved along to another organisation which in turn moves on what it cannot sell. Items which cannot  be sold often become carpet underlay and other curiously enjoyed but unnoticed products.

Ive started recycling some of the clothes that are unlikely to be worn again into jam covers. these are the glorious ornaments that people who enjoy making jams and preserves like to decorate their products.

From this one unsalable skirt I have made twenty jam covers which I will take to the store on Friday and sell in groups of ten: ten for $5.00 and see if that works!

I'm  also thinking to start collecting the glass jars that are always donated to the store and make sets of half dozen matching jars and covers - also though to buy matching hair ties to hold them on - but maybe going too far with this!

Anyway, this is what they look like and the pile of scraps now taunts me with the possibility of micro-quilting. This apparently almost lost craft was designed to ensure that not the tiniest of fragments of fabric was wasted!

learning the language of the nonspeaking self

When I was in rehab I spent a long time in art therapy and enjoyed the process very much without understanding it in any way at all. I went to the studio, sat down and drew and wrote on my drawing  and went back to the ward.

When I left the art therapist gave me a huge roll of papers which were all my drawings and  I took them home with me where they sat behind the book case in my study for several years.

I took them out a couple of weeks ago and began looking through them to discover another language I barely recognise let alone find myself able to read.

So here's the current project.

1. to bind all the drawings to keep them safe.

2. to make a folder in which to keep the book of drawings

3 to begin to explore the images and their meanings

Mostly these images seem to be about my two sisters, my mother and myself. There is a section which seems to be about my male archetype and my relationship to him - I wonder if he  is my muse and if so there is a haiku to him in an earlier post here.

I'm not even sure I know how to explore these images so the whole thing will be a journey of honouring and exploring with no expected destination.

So here's the cover of the drawings