On The Day Before

Yesterday was art therapy group with Casey and the gang, and then after I met with Anne for our weekly meet up. When we start the group we always give one word on how we are feeling. And at the end, we do it again… usually we are more calm, focused, even reenergized by then. I was a few minutes late and missed out on it, but made it for the day’s directive. Honestly, I know I sat there, and I’m sure I heard it… and yet I completely missed it… So, instead I looked around the studio, and thought about what type of project I could do and be done with… one I didn’t have to take home and finish, as I’ve had to for most of them. So, I grabbed some Bristol Drawing Paper, gave myself a paper cut getting it off the pad (of course had to then ask for a band aid because I was gushing blood), and then used an exacto knife and metal ruler to cut down to 3″x3″ squares. Amazingly, did not cut myself in that part of the process!

I then grabbed a Sharpie black permanent marker and started a bit of doodling. I did five in all.

Five Doodles

Afterwards I felt a bit more accomplished than when I walked in. That was the point to me doing these mini pieces of artwork. I have so many parts going at once with this thesis, that I wanted to feel really completed about something… it worked!

I was to meet with Anne at 2:30 in her office instead of the usual coffee at Boulder because she had another engagement on campus. I missed the coffee… I even went to the basement cafe realizing they weren’t open yet. Talk about bummed! Oh well, I found my way to her office, and plopped a seat on the floor and pulled out my laptop so that I could get images uploading, and continue working on the posts I had to put up.

When she came, I moved with her into her office. Her office-mate not being there was a bonus for us. We went over Wednesday’s thesis class, and what I had presented. After that I updated her on the work I’d been doing, the updated pages, and then some images, and we talked about my first ever annotated bibliography. We worked out some of my phrasing, but otherwise I was on target. I shared what I had done in the art therapy group (above) and then we got talking about other things, med changes (again) and what other things were going on, and what my feelings were about graduation, and how far I’ve come, and how if I can stay on this calendar I can complete the work and be on time and successfully graduating in May. I’m very nervous for it, and what will happen after.

Anne is such a good listener, and I love that she is so intrigued and fascinated by my project as I am. I appreciate how much time she devotes to me, and her willingness to keep poking me along in our Friday meetings!

The Mediums We Work In: Part One

As part of the 3D tree, I am looking at the different mediums my family members (and I) work in. Some of us have varied interests (i.e. My grandmother Peggy, mother, aunt Barbara, and aunt Robin all sew). I am going to hang from this tree an item that represents for each type of medium. Here is the list I have come up with:

Paint Palette = acrylic/oil painter

Polaroid Film Sheet = photographer

Rubber Stamp = For those who created a rubber stamp.

A Beaded Bracelet = For those who make jewelry

Drawing Pad/Pen = For those who draw

A Mini-Handmade book = For those who do altered books/projects

Fabric on a Hoop = For those who quilt, and/or do embroidery

Something wooden = For those into woodworking

Fabrics/Needle = For those who sew

My intent is to have each person represented by the different work they do. So, say I’m putting my mediums on the tree, I would be represented in several ways, with several items. I am an artist, photographer, sewer, altered artist as well as a jewelry maker. I would get all of those hung from the tree. My purpose in doing this is to show that we are all multi-talented artists. I plan to make all of the items be painted in gold. The tree itself is in the tertiary  colors.