Thursday, September 17, 2020

Goodbye Summer 2020

 Goodbye Summer. I missed you... I think.


Friday in the Garden
12 x 12 Mixed Media

I was determined not to waste a single summer day, but it happened. Maybe it was the weather that caused me to waste time. Certainly it was current events, what with a worldwide pandemic and my husband and me right smack in the middle of the range of senior citizens who needed to be extra cautious in public. So we were. We stayed home, and while I intended to spend the summer painting in my lovely studio I didn't get around to doing much painting. I gardened. I puttered around the house. I fiddled with my collage papers. I wrote copious plans in my journals, plans for someday, just not right now, thank you very much. I'm hibernating.

Bless her heart, Crystal Neubauer recorded some encouraging collage related demonstrations on Facebook and directed viewers to join her in making 5-minute collages as a way to begin the day. If you've been around this blog from its beginning 10 years ago you'll remember that daily collages prompted this blog, One-A-Day, in the first place. I was making 5x7" collages, one every day and writing about what I learned in the doing... and here I am, doing it again. 

Upon being prompted by Crystal I gathered scraps of watercolor paper and cut dozens of 4" squares, gathered a box of collage compost, and my YES! Paste mixture and began. I'm just 4 short of 100.  One Hundred small collages finished. I call them Lagniappe. That's pronounced LAN-yap, and it means a little something extra, a gift, like a baker's dozen or 13 donuts.  I heard it in New Orleans years ago and always liked the idea. 

The painting at the top of this post is one of a small series that I call In The Garden. The collaged bits are from a vintage fabric sample book, just perfect for the painting and reminiscent of my past work in textiles. I wish I had lots more of these fabrics or similar vintage wallpaper.

I'm back to sewing, making masks again. In the spring I used my very last tiny bits and pieces to make masks for a local medical clinic but had to quit when I ran out of fabric. Recently a couple of friends gave me their scraps so I'm at it again. I set up my sewing machine on the dining room table and am doing an assembly line routine of cutting, pinning, and sewing, an hour one morning, 15 minutes while the kettle boils. It all adds up and no matter how long it takes I'm sure I'll have dozens of masks ready long before we can safely bare our faces.

I live in the Portland OR suburbs and if you've been following the news you know that our normally clean pure air is the worst in the world this week due to all the wildfires devouring our forests and farms. I'm thankful for tightly fitting windows and doors and a good air filter on the furnace as I join thousands of others praying for rain. 

That's all. I'm just checking in with all ya'll. (giggle if you must; I'm Arkansas born and that's how I learned to talk way back when). I hope you're well, exercising your creative muscles, reading some good books, and have found better movies than we have on Netflix. 

Yes, okay. I'll take some pictures of my little collages to show you, maybe next week if you ask nicely.

Anything else you want to know about? 

Jo

6 comments:

  1. I'm so happy you resurrected your blog, I love reading them. I haven't written in mine for several years. Perhaps I'll bring mine back to life. We ha temps on the 40s this morning!!! Summer is surely over.

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    1. It’s good to hear from you, Bevie, and to know you and Mary are sisters. For sure begin blogging again and say hello to Mary.

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  2. I see yiu followed Martha Lever and my baby sister's blog, A Splendid Adventure, by Mary E Freeman. Wish she'd bring hers back too. Blessings!!!

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  3. Jo, found you on Daily Paintworks (I think) and love following your beautiful writing and artwork. You are an inspiration and keep on keeping on! Hope the air quality out your way improves soon and sending prayers for all.

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    1. Your lovely comment came just when I needed a boost, Joan. It’s nice to know you’re out there reading and watching. We got rain last night and we hope it helped stifle some of the wildfires. Thanks for reaching out.

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  4. Wish I'd known about the 5 min collage and done it all summer, but alas... summer is over and autumn is here now. It does sounds lovely though. Stay well Jo, and safe.

    xo

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