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This is my studio this week. It is filled with the materials and work of two private students who have come bringing everything they can that relates to their aspirations for the week. I do maintain one small area for myself to work on the clock parts for “In Search of Lost Time” but find myself more and more involved in what they are doing. Their ideas are big and the hours are long for all of us. We are learning so much from one another.

And as if we did not have enough to work with, two of us are taking off today on a hunt for more parts, more tools, more things that just might be what we need. One is left in the studio by herself to work at her own pace to complete large canvas panels with recessed sections and carefully placed imagery and text that supports her concept.

Next week when they are both gone the studio will return to its open spaces for me to spread out and try my hand at what I am learning from them this week.  Or I will immerse myself even further in my own work and see if I can come close to the accomplishments made by others in my space.

I have cleaned the studio in preparation of private students arriving next week. And there is so much more room in there now. When working in mixed media things get a bit layered over each other on tables, benches, counters.  Almost any available space becomes a cluttered collection of mixed parts and missing tools. Everything is now in its place and I can see it all. But I found when it was finished that I kept going back to the details of the places things were placed. They were interesting to photograph. Each was like an illustration in some sort of story….small narratives on the walls and in corners. Here are some more

 

 

These images are of things that seem to want more attention. I know I need to get back to the time pieces, but what do those small vignettes that are happening on the shelves expect me to do? And the long line of Australia? I think they are there to remind me I am going back and not to forget the recording of memories that will join them later on that shelf.

For some reason I am intrigued by the top introductory image. It is the corner of a four foot square canvas with graphite and large stitching that goes through the cloth and becomes part of the image that also exposes an under painting that came before and now is framed with willow tied in place to frame the “history” on the canvas. The braid of raffia hangs there like it was also painted and reminds me of my basketry beginnings. I think this image means something but I am not sure what. Something.