Melanie Testa's Blog, page 16

21

Today I have been daydreaming about a bird feeder. I am a backyard birder and am bereft of a feeder.

A stack of Merit Badges placed on an alter my Man built in the apartment.

This little guy flowers often, sturdy, well loved little guy.

Still working the City Tea page. Overall photos soon, I bet. I am a little tired and so will remain quiet today.

20

Today I made circles without making the known structure of a circle, lines intersect to create circular shapes.

As I was making the lines I was thinking about you and the blog and I felt grateful. Thank you. Thank you for doing the challenge with me. Thank you for reading this blog and special thanks for commenting on this blog. I know there are many blogs out there, I enjoy them too, but I thank you for coming here. I want you to enjoy this as much as I do. It goes both ways.

So Kathleen asked how to upload photos to the Flickr group. First you need to set up and account, then you need to upload photos, then move them into the group page. This help page may help. I am also loving the exchange between all of us on the Flickr Group Page. Yeah!

There are tremors of what I might do next but if you would like me to do something or illuminate some creative approach or other, leave a comment. And remember, comments are answered and responded to in the comments for that day, you guys have even begun talking to each other within the comments and again! That is what I had hoped in making that change.

The pen and I are having our time together. I sat for 51 minutes and drew this today. I am going to sit and continue to draw this image until I feel it is complete. Tomorrow!

How do I know I sat for 51 minutes? Because yesterday I bought an album by Zoe Keating (which I love!), and I listened to the entire album, sitting in my sewing room and looking down the mews across the street.

And not only that, but...

Post #2 today...

Dear most awesomest pen ever,

You, oh pen, write upon acrylic, and gouache. Your nib so fine. You, who make me want to draw more, to peek around creative corners, just to see what is next. This behavior is not like me, but you bring this misbehavior forth. You awaken slumbering memories of long ago, when I etched, I know I was an etcher, in a past life. This is because I breath deeply when immersed in fine detail, I relax. I have seen those past lives and walk alongside them on this day. I know you have siblings of varying widths and wonder, I lust after them. You persnickety pen of bad repute, you and I? We have a date with a page.

19 and more

Today's lines? This is an illustration of my work table. No fine detail here. The items don't even appear where they lay. But it is fun all the same.

Today was a day, both good and bad. My camcorder broke... I did all this filming today and them plugged the thing in and it won't work. I bought it just over a year ago. Arrrgh.

Not to mention, the sweater I boasted about finishing in 5 weeks or less? My gauge is off.

I started journaling a bit...there is good there but I am not ready to share yet.

The good thing? With all these obstacles? I am not all that grumpy. When I can, I will buy a new camcorder. I will rip the two inches of knitting out and remember to knit looooosely... maybe not right now though.

On another front? Here is the Greater Scaup and Tea piece! Finished! I like this piece a lot, it taught me much, I stuck with it to the end! It is fun to try out other people's techniques and make them your own to the best of your ability. I would love to be able to print stains like tea purposefully and with dye. hmmm.

I listen

Sometimes when I teach a student will ask me when I know something is complete. I interpret this question to mean, 'How do I develop intuition?' I will back up and clarify and illuminate the differences in the nomenclature of the question. Developing intuition and learning to trust yourself as an artist is paramount. Putting the word 'complete' aside, listening to your self intuitively, following the ideas that emerge when engaged in a process or idea helps to skill build and expands your creative perimeters, hence the above piece.

A few days ago, I could not stop making lines and I created three pieces, the last of which sparked a creative thought. You know when you have a pen in hand and you start lightly whipping it up and down on the paper and you create a soft area of shading? I asked myself, why can't that work with the ruling pen too?

So I narrowed the beak as much as possible and lightly 'scratched' the cloth. It worked. I listen to creative intuitions. Repeat that to yourself ten times.

A swagger and a jaunt.

I did my lines early today. I like that.

I woke up this morning with thoughts of Balthazar's Bakery in my mind... So we went. And then headed over to a coffee shop to eat our takings and in my case, sew.

I have been in an exploratory mode creatively am trying things out. You see some tentative experiments with Eco Dyeing (via India Flint's book) and this piece uses some of my own eucalyptus and acorn dyed pieces. I have long admired Jude Hill's work and I am embracing a technique she uses often, cloth weaving. And then there is Janet Bolton whose Book reminded me of the joy of applique picture building.

So in dabbling and experimenting I have been creatively stretching and looking for ways to make the work uniquely my own. We will see.

Then we took a long walk back to the subway and I snapped a few city life photos for you.

A store selling dried sea cucumbers. It is a wonder to walk through Chinatown with all of its open air markets and the marvelous unknowns.

Can you tell what subway station this is?

Well...

Sweet 16

It seems I need to be checked in upon! I just finished todays lines and this is a sketch. I started one and didn't like it, then started another (this one). I need to scale back and refrain from structured designing, But still yesterdays over achieving led me to start thinking. I am not done with the thought yet but I am on my way.

Thankfully the drama with the blog is over. Note to Self: Do not tinker with blog is anything but the best of times.

I cannot tell a lie,

though I sometimes want to.

All of the sudden, I found myself doing tomorrow's lines.

And My Man reminded me that I cannot lie to myself about these things...

But I really could not stop making lines today. This one is the scrap from the video of two days ago, plus some pencil, colored pens, doodle joy, doodle day.

And it looks all crappy over here because I thought I was going to change the banner up there... and I messed up. So things will be capluey for a lil while till I re-member how to fix it. harumph.

14=7+7 (Which is half of 4 Weeks)

Today I made a stencil for yesterday's Sneak Peek...I used it in tonight's lines. A stencil with a ruling pen on cloth? Oh the synapses are roiling and boiling...

13, my favorite number...

I am playing with Day 2's circle, negative space and the idea of bubbles emerging...

Who knew I would enjoy this just so much. I do hope that you find the video tutorials helpful. Don't hesitate to 'subscribe' to my You Tube Channel, I keep all the videos related to this blog there.

Here is a peek at my latest handwork piece. I am not quite ready to reveal it, but am happy with it's immediate existence. It is crazy sometimes to think of all the stuff I need to have going... I am commited to the 30 Lines 30 Days Challenge, I am still working on this piece. The Journal is a must, almost daily. Then on the long term list is The 20. And well a certain persomn named Cricket has heard my personal challenge to knit myself a sweater in 5 weeks or less (it is chunky yarn). You would think I need some deadlines... Lines? did you say lines?

And sometime this week I will post a photo of the completed Tea Pintail piece...

And Kristin L sent me this ever topical link.

Off to buy the KittyKittens Greenies and food. Gotta go, bye.