The journey continues with Mice-Flower Children

 A while back with my Book Club Artists Group we came up with this idea to have an exhibit of our work together and Mayslake Peabody Estate excepted us, there are 12 artists in total.  And in Jan 2020 we will be exhibiting.

So the thought about setting my intention to a new grouping of work came and that always poses a challenge and I think it should do that.  A time for me as an artist to switch things up or trying something that's been welling in up inside and allow it to come to the surface.

I also seem to go through a phase of assemblage, where I stretch the collage to be more dimensional and that has me playing with violins.  Why a violin you might ask?  The shape and the beauty of it's sound, I don't play it but I highly respect someone that does.

Please know the violins used in this process are student violins that are just tossed aside hopefully to a better one but if not they need a new life and some body that cares...so I have chosen to be their champion for awhile.

 Awhile back I was into the Scrolls...well I truly never got out of them yet, still exploring the possibility.  and that's how the idea of the scroll of sketches coming out of the belly of the violin came.

A roll of paper that's been sitting in the studio for a good year came to good use.  See you never know how or when you will use something like this. But paper and a collage artist never part so I am very delighted to be using it now and with my new sewing machine I sewed the folded paper as seen above.

A layer of walnut dye, and black ink and then spread some gesso over to push it back some and started making some marks on the surface. then a bit of stitching too.

 A dear new artist friend shared a whole bunch of cute mice photos with me, because she know's I have a mouse/mice thing and from there I used the photos as a guide and sketched the little sweet children on the scroll.  what a study it was of images all mice doing what mice do...hanging out in your garden or out the prairies.

 We are use to seeing mice in the house and ones that have made a mess of your sweater or something special in a drawer, etc.  But out in the wild they make this beautiful round balls of natural fibers.  Again digging in my boxes of stuff I had this thick fiber that I just loved and didn't know what to do with it and now it's become the nest.  It's actually fibers from some four legged friend like a husky I think.

This little one was on a dandelion and hiding behind it so I use some more fibers and made a puff ball...not sure if you can see it his little hand is holding a single puff seed. 

 Close ups now...

 The scroll could have rolled in and out but after I made the little sketches 3 dimensional assemblage I had to change that idea around and let it hang...but maybe another violin I'll really do that to. It was just too thick and the sticks I added would have broke...

 Little dangly bits of sheet music and color threaded with thin thread.  It will probably rip off if not treated with care.

 Flower Children is now complete...that was a long time coming, as I had the sketches and went so far and then I wasn't sure how it was going to finish off.   Share with my husband about my doubt...and we were both reminded of this quote.

But this all has just become Awesome!!!!

Plans are set, intentions sent to the universe and when I get back from this workshop...I'm going to be staying aware for more insight on this one...cause this is as far as I have gotten on the idea wheel...but this is the part too that is like gathering the best blueberries...a gathering of ideas and some you throw out and others you use.

Today's Tuesday Tidbit Newsletter can be Read HERE