Clare Murray Adams
Holiday Musings
12/15/2024
Bright lights in the kitchen are a favorite part of my holidays.
Do you find it hard to get into your studio or keep up your journalling or art practice during the holidays? That time between Thanksgiving and Christmas often seems like a different kind of time and space. I feel like I should be able to keep up with my studio work, yet all of the extra demands of the holidays really makes that kind of impossible. Baking, decorating, shopping (even if it is done online), wrapping, and spending time with family and friends can put my daily art pratice on the back burner. So...what to do?
I don't want to totally abandon my artmaking, but I know I cannot make headway on that big painting at this time of the year. So I compromise. I make a pledge to do SOMETHING every day towards my artwork. Some days it is attention to my journaling or planning. Other days it is a commitment of time, even if it is just a half hour devoted to sketching or markmaking.
Sometimes, I find it helpful to "clean up my palette" by working in only black and white. It can offer a new perspective on the way you work with color. These pieces were worked on a black background instead of white, which offered a new starting point for the work.
I often use this time to tidy up (meaning really cleaning!) my studio and spend time looking over the drawings in my sketchbooks. There are often insights in these sketches that I meant to develop further or expand upon. Sometimes these sketches have notes on them about those developments.
I love working small and with a variety of found materials. The piece here is just 4x4" in a 6x6" frame but so satisfying to make. It allows me to incorporate items that I find during the clean-up and almost always demands that I stitch on them. Something I really love to do.
What are you doing this holiday season? Working small is a great way to satisfy your need to get some work done. All of these tactics help me to still feel creative and sometimes they spark new ideas and new work.
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a productive 2025!
WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
"Bookmaking Basics" Tuesdays, February 25 - April 1, 2025 10AM - 1:30PM
Valley Art Center Register here.
"Landscape Collage" Saturday March 15, 2025 10AM - 12PM
Fairrmount Center for the Arts Register here.
ARTWORK FOR SALE!
6' x 6" for $66
Need a gift for Christmas? Make it a gift of art! These small 6x6" pieces on board are unframed and come with an acrylic easel for display. The shipping is Free! What can be better than that?!
There are several sets in different color ranges. Click here to visit my SHOP.
CURRENT EXHIBITS
"Timeline: A Retrospective" Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery Hudson OH
"Stark County Artists Exhibit" Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
Massillon Museum Massillon OH
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who would enjoy the Newsletter please forward it to them. They can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
-Clare
12/15/2024
Bright lights in the kitchen are a favorite part of my holidays.
Do you find it hard to get into your studio or keep up your journalling or art practice during the holidays? That time between Thanksgiving and Christmas often seems like a different kind of time and space. I feel like I should be able to keep up with my studio work, yet all of the extra demands of the holidays really makes that kind of impossible. Baking, decorating, shopping (even if it is done online), wrapping, and spending time with family and friends can put my daily art pratice on the back burner. So...what to do?
I don't want to totally abandon my artmaking, but I know I cannot make headway on that big painting at this time of the year. So I compromise. I make a pledge to do SOMETHING every day towards my artwork. Some days it is attention to my journaling or planning. Other days it is a commitment of time, even if it is just a half hour devoted to sketching or markmaking.
Sometimes, I find it helpful to "clean up my palette" by working in only black and white. It can offer a new perspective on the way you work with color. These pieces were worked on a black background instead of white, which offered a new starting point for the work.
I often use this time to tidy up (meaning really cleaning!) my studio and spend time looking over the drawings in my sketchbooks. There are often insights in these sketches that I meant to develop further or expand upon. Sometimes these sketches have notes on them about those developments.
I love working small and with a variety of found materials. The piece here is just 4x4" in a 6x6" frame but so satisfying to make. It allows me to incorporate items that I find during the clean-up and almost always demands that I stitch on them. Something I really love to do.
What are you doing this holiday season? Working small is a great way to satisfy your need to get some work done. All of these tactics help me to still feel creative and sometimes they spark new ideas and new work.
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a productive 2025!
WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
"Bookmaking Basics" Tuesdays, February 25 - April 1, 2025 10AM - 1:30PM
Valley Art Center Register here.
"Landscape Collage" Saturday March 15, 2025 10AM - 12PM
Fairrmount Center for the Arts Register here.
ARTWORK FOR SALE!
6' x 6" for $66
Need a gift for Christmas? Make it a gift of art! These small 6x6" pieces on board are unframed and come with an acrylic easel for display. The shipping is Free! What can be better than that?!
There are several sets in different color ranges. Click here to visit my SHOP.
CURRENT EXHIBITS
"Timeline: A Retrospective" Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery Hudson OH
"Stark County Artists Exhibit" Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
Massillon Museum Massillon OH
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who would enjoy the Newsletter please forward it to them. They can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
-Clare
Thanksgiving Wishes
11/13/2024
Creativity is Intelligence having fun. -Einstein
"Beyond the Fence" mixed media
On view at Massillon Museum Stark County Artists Exhibit
Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
I always say, "Thanksgiving is my holiday." I lean into my favorite flavors and enjoy creating a feast that incorporates items from my garden...carrots and onions, this year, it includes golden beets and Swiss chard. While I don't grow pumpkins, I always purchase pie pumpkins from a local farmer and make the puree for my pumpkin pies.
Gardening and using the produce is a creative process for me and an extension of my artmaking. Or perhaps, artmaking is an extension of my gardening!
I have much to be thankful for and you as readers of my Newsletter are most appreciated. Thank you for your continued support of my artwork, for taking the classes I offer, for reading the Newsletter, and for taking time to write, comment or email me.
I am teaching closer to home these days and you can find the classes and workshops I will be offering through Valley Art Canter (Chagrin Falls OH) and Fairmount Center for the Arts (Novelty OH) listed below. Also listed are my current exhibits and some NEW items for sale in the SHOP on my website.
Thank You so much! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
-Clare
WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
"Hand Stitched Paper Collage" Saturday, January 25, 2025 10AM - !:00PM
Valley Art Center Register here.
"Bookmaking Basics" Tuesdays, February 25 - April 1, 2025 10AM - 1:30PM
Valley Art Center Register here.
"Landscape Collage" Saturday March 15, 2025 10AM - 12PM
Fairrmount Center for the Arts Register here.
ARTWORK FOR SALE!
6' x 6" for $66
Need a gift for Christmas? Make it a gift of art! These small 6x6" pieces on board are unframed and come with an acrylic easel for display. The shipping is Free! What can be better than that?!
There are several sets in different color ranges. Click here to visit my SHOP.
CURRENT EXHIBITS
"Timeline: A Retrospective" Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery Hudson OH
"Stark County Artists Exhibit" Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
Massillon Museum Massillon OH
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who would enjoy the Newsletter please forward it to them. They can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
-Clare
11/13/2024
Creativity is Intelligence having fun. -Einstein
"Beyond the Fence" mixed media
On view at Massillon Museum Stark County Artists Exhibit
Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
I always say, "Thanksgiving is my holiday." I lean into my favorite flavors and enjoy creating a feast that incorporates items from my garden...carrots and onions, this year, it includes golden beets and Swiss chard. While I don't grow pumpkins, I always purchase pie pumpkins from a local farmer and make the puree for my pumpkin pies.
Gardening and using the produce is a creative process for me and an extension of my artmaking. Or perhaps, artmaking is an extension of my gardening!
I have much to be thankful for and you as readers of my Newsletter are most appreciated. Thank you for your continued support of my artwork, for taking the classes I offer, for reading the Newsletter, and for taking time to write, comment or email me.
I am teaching closer to home these days and you can find the classes and workshops I will be offering through Valley Art Canter (Chagrin Falls OH) and Fairmount Center for the Arts (Novelty OH) listed below. Also listed are my current exhibits and some NEW items for sale in the SHOP on my website.
Thank You so much! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
-Clare
WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
"Hand Stitched Paper Collage" Saturday, January 25, 2025 10AM - !:00PM
Valley Art Center Register here.
"Bookmaking Basics" Tuesdays, February 25 - April 1, 2025 10AM - 1:30PM
Valley Art Center Register here.
"Landscape Collage" Saturday March 15, 2025 10AM - 12PM
Fairrmount Center for the Arts Register here.
ARTWORK FOR SALE!
6' x 6" for $66
Need a gift for Christmas? Make it a gift of art! These small 6x6" pieces on board are unframed and come with an acrylic easel for display. The shipping is Free! What can be better than that?!
There are several sets in different color ranges. Click here to visit my SHOP.
CURRENT EXHIBITS
"Timeline: A Retrospective" Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery Hudson OH
"Stark County Artists Exhibit" Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
Massillon Museum Massillon OH
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who would enjoy the Newsletter please forward it to them. They can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
-Clare
Searching for Spontaneity
10/2/2024
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
10/2/2024
"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary
may speak." Han Hoffman
I spend a lot of time creating small collages.
While collage is my go-to way of expressing myself, in the work you see here I was interested in making collages that were simple vs. those with more complex layering.
It was interesting to see how pieces with simple shapes and lines used the space of the page. There is a certain dynamic that occurs with limited color and the way shapes and lines engage the space.
These pieces do have some paint but often it is minimal and used to
enhance or extend the already pale surfaces.
In the lower two collages I experimented with ways to use paint on the background or a combination of paint and collaged paper before adding other focal elements. In some pieces the paint was applied with a brayer leaving a mark different from that of a brush or palette knife.
Mark making became increasingly important as did the mark making tools:
sticks, skewers, brushes, crayons, pens, pencils.
I found myself collaging through-out the processes; I often found that I worked back and forth between collage, paint, mark making, and more collage and paint.
I ultimately wanted a surface that looked spontaneous and effortless.
The work was often neither spontaneous or effortless.
It reminded me of my work in quilt-making where I moved from creating pieces that were made with the rules of traditional quilt making (quarter inch seam allowances, a specifinumber of hand quilting stitches per inch, clean and neat) to raw edged pieces with a loose and free look.
It all takes time.
It takes a different mind set and a certain willingness to just "go for it!"
Easier said than done.
I am still working toward that truly spontaneous way of working.
To see more work with a spontaneous feel click here.
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
Clare
www.claremurrayadams.com
www.instagram.com/claremurrayadams
EXHIBITS
may speak." Han Hoffman
I spend a lot of time creating small collages.
While collage is my go-to way of expressing myself, in the work you see here I was interested in making collages that were simple vs. those with more complex layering.
It was interesting to see how pieces with simple shapes and lines used the space of the page. There is a certain dynamic that occurs with limited color and the way shapes and lines engage the space.
These pieces do have some paint but often it is minimal and used to
enhance or extend the already pale surfaces.
In the lower two collages I experimented with ways to use paint on the background or a combination of paint and collaged paper before adding other focal elements. In some pieces the paint was applied with a brayer leaving a mark different from that of a brush or palette knife.
Mark making became increasingly important as did the mark making tools:
sticks, skewers, brushes, crayons, pens, pencils.
I found myself collaging through-out the processes; I often found that I worked back and forth between collage, paint, mark making, and more collage and paint.
I ultimately wanted a surface that looked spontaneous and effortless.
The work was often neither spontaneous or effortless.
It reminded me of my work in quilt-making where I moved from creating pieces that were made with the rules of traditional quilt making (quarter inch seam allowances, a specifinumber of hand quilting stitches per inch, clean and neat) to raw edged pieces with a loose and free look.
It all takes time.
It takes a different mind set and a certain willingness to just "go for it!"
Easier said than done.
I am still working toward that truly spontaneous way of working.
To see more work with a spontaneous feel click here.
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
Clare
www.claremurrayadams.com
www.instagram.com/claremurrayadams
EXHIBITS
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"NewNow 2024" Sept.12-Oct. 17, 2024 Tri C East Gallery
Highland Hills OH Reception Sept. 12, 2024 6-7:30 PM
"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024. 6-9 PM
"Timeline: A Retrospective" Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery Hudson OH
"Stark County Artists Exhibit" Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
Massillon Museum Massillon OH
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"NewNow 2024" Sept.12-Oct. 17, 2024 Tri C East Gallery
Highland Hills OH Reception Sept. 12, 2024 6-7:30 PM
"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024. 6-9 PM
"Timeline: A Retrospective" Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery Hudson OH
"Stark County Artists Exhibit" Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
Massillon Museum Massillon OH
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
Meanwhile...
9/2/2024
Art - like love - is an active process of growth and development,
not a God-given talent. -Robert Motherwell
I
"With Strings Attached" 18x18"
mixed media acrylic paint with collage
Accepted to Tikkanen Painting Prize Exhibit
It is cool here today as I write my September Newsletter. I'm loving the coming of cooler weather but know there are still warm days ahead. August was very busy with company, gardening, canning and freezing produce from the garden, and artmaking.
I will be teaching some classes this fall and have several exhibits coming up which I have noted below. One of these events might be something you'd like to attend.
I'd love to see or meet you in class or at an exhibit!
Meanwhile... as I work toward returning to a regular studio practice here are some ideas for you and your creative self.
* Start or maintain a daily art practice. Remember those New Year's
Resolutions to keep a sketchbook or journal? Rededicate yourself now!
Art and creativity can't happen and grow if you aren't in the studio regularly.
*Not feeling inspired? Clean your studio! I always come upon materials that
I collected for projects that I rediscover when I straighten things up.
It's like getting new supplies that can inspire or remind me of projects or
processes I wanted to explore.
*Are you traveling this fall? Create an altered book travel album. Buy an
old hardcover book about the place you are going to and collage your
photos, drawings, and writings on the pages. Actually, any book will work.
*Take a trip to the hardware store with art supplies in mind. You never know
what these unexpected materials might do to your current or new work.
*Invite a small group of art friends over for an art party.
*Plan a day to explore the galleries and museums in your area. It is always
valuable to see what other artists are creating.
Enjoy your art making, art exploring, art discovery no matter what form it takes.
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
-Clare
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center! September 10- October 15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
There are still a few openings in this class. Click here to register.
OR
October 29 - December 10, 2024 Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
Registration is open. Just click here to register.
Concepts in Collage is a 4 week class offered at Fairmount Art Center in Novelty Ohio. Concentrating on paper collage and paper techniques this course runs on
Wednesdays October 9- October 30, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 PM. Click here for more information.
EXHIBITS
"Climate Change" Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024 Coburn Art Gallery Ashland University Ashland OH Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"NewNow 2024" Sept.12-Oct. 17, 2024 Tri C East Gallery
Highland Hills OH Reception Sept. 12, 2024 6-7:30 PM
"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024. 6-9 PM
"Timeline: A Retrospective" Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery Hudson OH
"Stark County Artists Exhibit" Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
Massillon Museum Massillon OH
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
9/2/2024
Art - like love - is an active process of growth and development,
not a God-given talent. -Robert Motherwell
I"With Strings Attached" 18x18"
mixed media acrylic paint with collage
Accepted to Tikkanen Painting Prize Exhibit
It is cool here today as I write my September Newsletter. I'm loving the coming of cooler weather but know there are still warm days ahead. August was very busy with company, gardening, canning and freezing produce from the garden, and artmaking.
I will be teaching some classes this fall and have several exhibits coming up which I have noted below. One of these events might be something you'd like to attend.
I'd love to see or meet you in class or at an exhibit!
Meanwhile... as I work toward returning to a regular studio practice here are some ideas for you and your creative self.
* Start or maintain a daily art practice. Remember those New Year's
Resolutions to keep a sketchbook or journal? Rededicate yourself now!
Art and creativity can't happen and grow if you aren't in the studio regularly.
*Not feeling inspired? Clean your studio! I always come upon materials that
I collected for projects that I rediscover when I straighten things up.
It's like getting new supplies that can inspire or remind me of projects or
processes I wanted to explore.
*Are you traveling this fall? Create an altered book travel album. Buy an
old hardcover book about the place you are going to and collage your
photos, drawings, and writings on the pages. Actually, any book will work.
*Take a trip to the hardware store with art supplies in mind. You never know
what these unexpected materials might do to your current or new work.
*Invite a small group of art friends over for an art party.
*Plan a day to explore the galleries and museums in your area. It is always
valuable to see what other artists are creating.
Enjoy your art making, art exploring, art discovery no matter what form it takes.
Until next time, keep mixing it up!
-Clare
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center! September 10- October 15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
There are still a few openings in this class. Click here to register.
OR
October 29 - December 10, 2024 Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
Registration is open. Just click here to register.
Concepts in Collage is a 4 week class offered at Fairmount Art Center in Novelty Ohio. Concentrating on paper collage and paper techniques this course runs on
Wednesdays October 9- October 30, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 PM. Click here for more information.
EXHIBITS
"Climate Change" Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024 Coburn Art Gallery Ashland University Ashland OH Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"NewNow 2024" Sept.12-Oct. 17, 2024 Tri C East Gallery
Highland Hills OH Reception Sept. 12, 2024 6-7:30 PM
"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024. 6-9 PM
"Timeline: A Retrospective" Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery Hudson OH
"Stark County Artists Exhibit" Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025
Massillon Museum Massillon OH
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
Routine or Ritual
8/2/2024
"Artmaking grants access to worlds that may be dangerous, sacred, forbidden, seductive or all of the above." from Art and Fear
Untitled collage with machine stitching
8 1/2 x 5 1/2" on paper
Front and Back
The following is from a post I wrote in 2017 about the idea of Ritual.
"What is a ritual?
In what way is it different from a routine?
For me, routine implies something ordinary and habitual like that morning cup of coffee. Or taking a daily walk.
While these things are enjoyable, satisfying, and done regularly, they aren't ritualistic.
They are routine. They are habits.
Ritual seems to be more about doing something that you love, something you really care about, something that holds a special meaning or importance for you. A ritual is something that one might continue throughout the years because the ritual has become an integral part of who you are.
As I write this, I can still see that the two words, routine and ritual, are closely aligned. Perhaps thinking about rituals such as weddings or liturgies, birthdays and holidays, comes closest to the kind of ritual meaning I am addressing.
For me, sewing has long been a part of my art practice. It is more than habit or routine. It is an integral part of my artwork and how I think as an artist.
My art whether on fabric or paper, canvas or collage, often involves sewing.
Many times it is the part of the art making that I like best.
Often the sewing is what differentiates my mixed media work from that of other mixed media artists.
In that way, sewing is a ritual for me."
Now in 2024, sewing is still a part of my mixed media art practice.
Sometimes the sewing is minimal. At other times it is the star of the work.
The pieces pictured in this edition of The Newsletter are new works where I am using the sewing machine as the 'drawing' tool. I'm not competent at free motion sewing but I am experimenting with all of the stitches on my sewing machine.
The hand sewing so far has been minimal in this new series of works.
So, is this routine or ritual?
I don't think it is routine (yet) as this kind of machine sewing is new to me.
But I feel it is ritual because the sewing itself is a main component of the final artwork.
Ultimately, these pieces are more about the specific ritual of sewing that in and of itself is the concept of the final artwork.
Do you have rituals that you do as part of your art practice?
Maybe you spend time doing warm-up exercises.
What about daily sketchbook pages or markmaking?
Whatever it is, just keep mixing it up!
Clare
You can see the work where I used the sewing machine as the drawing tool here.
Some of the work is from my graduate program done in 2000. Others are more current.
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center! September 10- October 15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
Registration opens July 29th. Click here to register..
Concepts in Collage is a 4 week class offered at Fairmount Art Center in Novelty Ohio. Concentrating on paper collage and paper techniques this course runs from October 9- October 30, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 PM on Wednesdays. Click here for more information.
EXHIBITS
"Climate Change". Coburn Art Gallery. Ashland University. Ashland OH
Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024. Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024. 6-9 PM
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
8/2/2024
"Artmaking grants access to worlds that may be dangerous, sacred, forbidden, seductive or all of the above." from Art and Fear
Untitled collage with machine stitching
8 1/2 x 5 1/2" on paper
Front and Back
The following is from a post I wrote in 2017 about the idea of Ritual.
"What is a ritual?
In what way is it different from a routine?
For me, routine implies something ordinary and habitual like that morning cup of coffee. Or taking a daily walk.
While these things are enjoyable, satisfying, and done regularly, they aren't ritualistic.
They are routine. They are habits.
Ritual seems to be more about doing something that you love, something you really care about, something that holds a special meaning or importance for you. A ritual is something that one might continue throughout the years because the ritual has become an integral part of who you are.
As I write this, I can still see that the two words, routine and ritual, are closely aligned. Perhaps thinking about rituals such as weddings or liturgies, birthdays and holidays, comes closest to the kind of ritual meaning I am addressing.
For me, sewing has long been a part of my art practice. It is more than habit or routine. It is an integral part of my artwork and how I think as an artist.
My art whether on fabric or paper, canvas or collage, often involves sewing.
Many times it is the part of the art making that I like best.
Often the sewing is what differentiates my mixed media work from that of other mixed media artists.
In that way, sewing is a ritual for me."
Now in 2024, sewing is still a part of my mixed media art practice.
Sometimes the sewing is minimal. At other times it is the star of the work.
The pieces pictured in this edition of The Newsletter are new works where I am using the sewing machine as the 'drawing' tool. I'm not competent at free motion sewing but I am experimenting with all of the stitches on my sewing machine.
The hand sewing so far has been minimal in this new series of works.
So, is this routine or ritual?
I don't think it is routine (yet) as this kind of machine sewing is new to me.
But I feel it is ritual because the sewing itself is a main component of the final artwork.
Ultimately, these pieces are more about the specific ritual of sewing that in and of itself is the concept of the final artwork.
Do you have rituals that you do as part of your art practice?
Maybe you spend time doing warm-up exercises.
What about daily sketchbook pages or markmaking?
Whatever it is, just keep mixing it up!
Clare
You can see the work where I used the sewing machine as the drawing tool here.
Some of the work is from my graduate program done in 2000. Others are more current.
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center! September 10- October 15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
Registration opens July 29th. Click here to register..
Concepts in Collage is a 4 week class offered at Fairmount Art Center in Novelty Ohio. Concentrating on paper collage and paper techniques this course runs from October 9- October 30, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 PM on Wednesdays. Click here for more information.
EXHIBITS
"Climate Change". Coburn Art Gallery. Ashland University. Ashland OH
Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024. Reception August 29, 2024. 4:30-6:30 PM
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024 Beachwood Community Center. Beachwood OH
"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024. 6-9 PM
MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
Get the Newsletter!
