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...feed your soul with art & creativity!

Monday, December 12, 2016

A Respite

It has been more than a year since I posted!  It seems hard to believe but between the last post and this one today life has changed in many ways.  I moved again due to my sweetheart's job. Again. Although I do have a space for art supplies and it could be a studio--it is not insulated so in the summer it got to be over 120 degrees inside and even on a day when the outside temperature is 80 the inside temp is closer to 90-95 due to the metal roof. Eighty degrees is pretty warm to be comfortable doing artwork.

My space is fairly well organized now except I have a bunch of outside stuff currently stored there because we don't/can't have a shed--or more precisely, the area we would use as a shed is actually our outside screened in porch area which is also used to hold art supplies.

Besides the logistics of the art studio, I have found that I've been reluctant to do artwork.  When I am creating, I tend to work many hours and make many items at once. For example, jewelry--I don't just make one or two pairs of earrings--I make 20.  I have a lot of them on sale, along with other art items, but I find myself just a little bit overwhelmed with all the "stuff." And having so much art hanging around (our house is full, every friend and many family members have received art as gifts) I just haven't had the heart to create any artwork for the past year.

I have done some art--I taught for 9 weeks this past summer at an art camp.  It was fun but frankly, by the time I finished, I was so exhausted it took several months to recuperate and regain any creating energy. I have done two custom mosaic glass panels--both of the same subject matter--am finishing up the second one in time for Christmas.  And I've done some art journaling.

I think with moving and many alterations in life/friends/community, I needed a respite.  I am just starting to feel the inkling of an urge to get out there and do some painting, to make some jewelry, to maybe even work on some glass or enameling if there is a day or two that is supposed to be really great weather for it.

Respites are necessary.  Just like a field needs time to recover before being replanted, I think an artist needs time away from art. My respite is just about over but I feel better for it and more clear about what I do actually want to do with my creative energy.

(c) 2016 SZing, Bohemian Art Cafe. All Rights Reserved.  Photographs (c) SZing Bohemian Art Cafe.