Monday, May 3, 2010

New mediums + creative block = frustration!

Hi all! i don't know how many readers i have left since the long hiatus... i'm trying to rectify the situation, though. 

i never did post my "12 Tags of Christmas", will have to get to that, hopefully before next x-mas. 

Since my last posts, a lot's changed for me artistically.  For quite a few years, i made mostly cards, and while i'm sure i always will  - i love it as a small format to try ideas and for instant (almost) gratification - lately i've been playing mostly in my journal and working on mixed media collage pieces. Also, after years of tossing ideas around, i'm finally starting work on some shadowboxes/assemblages.

i've also found some new mediums in the past several months, one being stamp carving. i was always intimidated by it, but once i got started i saw how easy it was to get good results and i was hooked! i carved almost 50 stamps - some big, most small - in a month or so.

Another new medium was one i was curious about for awhile, but only now have delved into - beeswax for collage/mixed media work! So far i've only played with it a little, but i'm already excited about the possibilities. 

And yet, even with all these new outlets, i am smack in the throes of a creative block. The funny thing is, i usually have tons of ideas, too many ideas and not enough time. Ofcourse, many artists say the best thing for a block is to just work! Just start playing with materials and let things happen. i might also mine my idea notebook for old ideas that i never started. 

So, today i have a tag to show. It's not anything fantastic; it was my first experiment with beeswax. i knew i wanted to seal some dried leaves or flowers in the wax so that's what i went with. i added color (red) by melting a Crayola crayon into the mix.

Ingredients: Manila tag - Office max; stamps - Writing Set by Clearly Impressed (Stampington & Co.), alphabet by Studio G, Swirls, V.1 by Autumn Leaves; ink - Versafine; red Crayola crayon; pressed flower petals; beeswax; walnut ink.

Well, thanks for looking! i hope to be posting more regularly - it helps to motivate me past my block, and i miss sharing with other artists. 

Hope you all have an awesome day!

3 comments:

  1. On the contrary... the tag is beautiful! I think the hardest thing that has come with my own bloom as an artist (and foray into other mediums) is much the same. It's hard to know exactly where to start. It stymied me for a while until I kind of hollered at myself and internally yelled, "Well... at least start SOMETHING!" Even so, I still have many days that feel as though I'm pushing my art rather than flowing with it.

    That being said, I know you and your artistic ability, yes, even the ability you haven't used yet. You have a deep soul.... something grand will come of that. I have no doubt.

    Take a deep breath. Go for a walk. And let it happen. I can't wait to see!

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  2. Thanks, Barb!
    Yeah, i need to just jump in and look at it as "play". When i do that, i think it frees me up to create, and before you know it, i'm working like a madwoman! Luckily, too, i have one big project underway - a shadowbox for my mom for Mother's Day. i think getting that underway will help.

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  3. O Jessica, this tag is incredible. I love the red crayon melted into it and the real nature. It has "umph".
    I received your stunning poppies card and almost cried it was so creative. Truly you have talents not yet explored if stamp carving came so easily to you.
    I am anxious to see more of this shadowbox you talk about and also some of your mixed media collage. It is an art form that truly inspires me because it seems to have so much feeling and emotion in it. I KNOW you will excel!

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