Monday April 21

Hey, I had a great weekend. Went to see the MQX show, it was fabulous and I came home with some yummy things from vendors there. Also made a trip to Franks in Charlestown, and found some great things, so my weekend was a mixed bag of touching/viewing fabrics and yard work.
I put together some fabrics for teasers and have left them displayed in my studio. O K, look out, there may be something happening soon. It feels so good.

The mind stands in the way of the 'eye', people paint what they expect to see. - Arthur Stern

You see, but you do not observe. - Sherlock Holmes to Watson

The daffodils are up, the crocus are blooming and it's looking alot like spring.
If I can find the perfect balance of work, yard work and quilting...along with the daydreaming, sunbathing and biking, I'll be good.

Wednesday April 16

This is called, "Continuing Convergence" It is composed of fabrics that I monoprinted alongside commercial fabrics. It is the influence of a Joan Shultze workshop I took and it is a path that I wish to continue down and explore more. This image is of the quilt unfinished. There is a wide border of yellow and green with some ribbony elements winding across.

I am very happy about this one, and hope to explore and expand on this.

Fortune cookie of the day:

An exciting opportunity lies ahead if you are not timid

Wednesday April 9

Here's a picture of my red quilt I hope to work on and enter into some upcoming shows. I have reached the point of fear on this one and I need to push through, transcend what is blocking me and just go for it.



I have checked out the book, "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. This is my bible when I find myself in a slump and need motivation. I also have her tape version. When I know I have a period of time that I want to be creative, I start listening and reading/writing to get myself pumped. It is only after a few days of listening that I can truly say I can

"leap and the net will appear"

as Julia Cameron says.


I am getting ready by organizing the mess of my studio, too. Making myself a clean palette for working. Getting rid of clutter and scraps that are not essential to my creativity. Seeking new quotes to enlarge and post.
Another favorite of mine,

"This is your time. Stay focussed. Relax and Enjoy the process."

The process is every day. Staying focussed, thinking creatively, believing that the answers will come without a struggle. Trusting in that.

OK. Move Forward.

Thursday April 3

Good morning, Spring. Yes, I know you are coming. I saw a robin today.

I am currently thinking about repainting and decorating my house. This is something I have never done before. Yes, I have painted a place I resided in. Yes, I have decorated my apartment, but actually painting and redecorating my home, my house, the place that I own and live, I have never done that before.

I am reading a variety of books. "How to's" on decorating, creativity, Feng- Shui and color. And of course, I continually look at Quilting books. The message I am getting is "Keep a Notebook". Gather stuff! Silly, me, I knew that! This will help in all aspects of my creativity, too. One book I read said that the "book" itself could become the design after it's all said and done. That is intriguing to me, so there's the next project.

So, I am repainting my house, building a design book and collecting inspirational objects and things to propel me forward. I also hope to add images to this blog as I go, but that requires a little more work. Hopefully I'll get there.

I wanted to share something I found. In a prior blog entry, I wrote a quote of the day that I had found years ago in the Boston Globe. I cut it out for my design wall in my studio. Well, in all this research about creativity, I found the source of the quote and the actual wording. So here goes,

Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add but when there is no longer anything to take away, when a body has been stripped down to its nakedness. - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

I don't need perfection, just the "knowing" when to stop.
Enjoy!