Monday, June 30, 2008

Penny for my Thoughts


This is a happy piece and I'm glad to say it was accepted for exhibit in "The Voice Within" . I hadn't planned on entering this one, as I didn't have a suitable piece and nothing came to mind. Then out of the blue, it came to me, one answer to the question, "How did you think of THAT?". (I've never been sure if that was a question of amazment, curiosity, or unbelief.)

I've never been certain where most of my ideas come from. They're rarely deliberate, in the sense of "I think I'll draw a tree today". Most of them come to me in those moments of semi-conciousness, just after I wake up, in the shower or when my hands are busy but my mind is wandering. A few of them make me wonder about my mental health, but most are welcomed and turned into art. Others lead me to a piece by steps. This thought process is what inspired this quilt.

For me, my process works alot like putting a penny in a gumball machine (do they still take pennies?). You put in the coin, turn the handle and what you see is what you get. Maybe you wanted pink and got yellow instead. Maybe on a really good day you get TWO gumballs, glory hallalujeh. And sometime, you look in the bowl and find it empty. Just like life, right.

I had a wonderful time making this character with his felt gumball filled head, and his 3-D arms and hands. I find I like him, and my process very well indeed.


6 comments:

Karen Newman Fridy said...

What a totally clever piece! I love it!! And boy, do I understand how your mind works, because mine works the very same way...glad to know I'm not the only one! Many times I'll finish a piece and it's almost like I want to say "hey that's cool, who did that?" Credit my muse or my intuition...not sure which, but I have learned to listen when the ideas pop up and at least make a sketch. Some things take a long time to get around to production, and most take a long time to produce.

I'm also sort of where you are re your last post...it's hard to juggle between art designed around a specific show and art that randomly manifests itself...I'm still struggling with how to handle that. There are so many show opportunities but, like you found out, it's frustrating to spend all that time and energy and then not be accepted. Yet, to not pursue them doesn't seem like the right thing to do. I've about decided that if a theme speaks to me and it fits within my timeframe of being able to produce a quality piece, then that's what I will go after. There are definitely more opportunities than I have time to get to!

Your pieces are great...keep up the good work!

MODERATOR: Dena Crain said...

Very clever, indeed! Fun, cheerful, inventive! I, too, often work from a meditative state of mind, letting ideas flow at will.

I heard a report a few days ago on NPR (on WorldSpace radio) about a woman brain specialist who suffered a devastating stroke. Recovered, she has written a book about the experience. They were interviewing her and her comments about being TOTALLY in the right brain made so much sense to me! Sorry I cannot remember the author's name, but if you check NPR.org for the past week or so you can probably find her and get the book's title.

Jeri C Pollock said...

Very interesting, Dena--I used to think of myself as left brain (I was a chemist in a past life), and felt superior. Now I glory in the fact that I can express myself through art and it is an "out of body" type experience at times--like karenf was saying. Lately I've been thinking that art is a whole brain expereince, but I'm still working on why that is.

salim said...

very nice

best regards

venetiaahwong said...

hmm, previous comments are so long.
i like the gum head.
haha
i found it the most interesting one
^^

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