Now that I’m back to blogging I of course am back on Wednesdays too with a ‘Tale from the Studio’ – including a photo of my workdesk (hello WOYWW-ers – good to see you again!!!) In this case, even two photos! Come on in and I’ll take you for a tour…
I told you already: my blogbreak did not mean that I took a ‘creating break’ also… I kept on working in my “Chronicles” (I will show you the new journal that I bound for 2014 and its first pages next Monday, I also plan to write a blogpost about my ‘One Little World for 2014″ then… have you choosen a word for this year? Do you think about it still… live by it even? I’d like to know your word!!!)
My desk today shows the latest project I’m working on: a small book for Project Mailart Books. (I see only now that I shuffled the words of that title on my desk-photo…) I joined the project a while ago and I received a cute little book from the founder/owner Ed to work in. When I saw that booklet, an idea came to mind right away because I’d recently seen my neighbour making monoprints with oil paint on thin paper. The paper that the booklet was made of, was very thin so I decided to go for it! I went to my neighbour-friend, who gave me a short ‘private workshop’ on how to make monoprints with oil paint. I made some test-pages first (see photo) and when those were to my satisfaction, I cut up the booklet and started the ‘real work’ on those pages. I even added an extra ‘tool’ in my studio (see second woyww-photo) to hang the pages to dry and help me work efficient…
That was a while ago. The monoprints fully dried and this week, I started on putting the pages together. My desk looks like this today:
WOYWW #245 (Click the link to see what WOYWW stands for…)
Here’s a second ph0to, showing the other corner and desk in my studio. You can see how I stretched a line to hang the monoprints to dry (oil paint takes ages to fully dry! The first test with oil paint mono prints failed miserable because I took the prints off the line too soon…the images smeared and made stains all over! Lesson learned: I left the final pages to dry 2 weeks, to make sure they would not stain!)
I cannot leave you without any art today, so here’s a Mixed Media piece I made last week.
We Practiced Intimacy
I love that title – a sentence I found in a magazine – and that’s not the only thing I love about this piece… the surface shows such beautiful details when you look up close… here’s a detail photo. This is what gesso does when you put a heatgun on it… bubbles!
The sun is shining in the Netherlands, it looks a bit like Spring is coming (lilac crocusses in the garden!) but it’s still cold… I hope you “Brits” are safe and dry. If you’re under water… hang in there, better times will come!
See you all Friday with a found poem.
Ahh, the sheer joy of bookbinding! I do miss it…
Happy WOYWW 🙂
no. 26
Loving the new clothesline to hang your projects from!!!!!
Hi, hi, hi! I have to laugh at myself sometimes. I was looking through the list and when I saw your name I got all excited like I was seeing a long lost friend. I guess if you don’t occasionally live in Blogland that’s hard to understand, and every once in a while we do find that things aren’t exactly as we thought they were, but I was excited to see you back. The collage is fabulous…the blend of neutrals is really stunning and the texture…oh, how I love texture. Also thought the ‘book of longing’ a fitting name. My longings continue to outgrow just about everything – time, space, money. C’est la vie. Looking forward to seeing more of your work. 🙂
Sara j #30
Love it – love that you label your photos for us too.
My word was Organisation. I figured if I could organise my time, my work, my chores, limit my internet time it would surely afford me more art time. I have my wobbles – I was a bit rubbish last week but by and large I am trying to live by my word. So far I have done more art already this year than I did in the last 6 months of last year.
Carmen #81
Hi Marit! I’ve been thinking about you lately, and I hope you are well. The Mailart thing sounds interesting! and I love your mixed media piece! Yes, I did know that about Gesso!
xxD
I forgot! My word for the year is Simplify!
xxD
Love your labelled workspace! Fabulous art work too, so beautiful!
Debxx
Fabulous pics showing us around! Enjoy your day. Take care Zo xx 71
Marit!! How wonderful to see you here on WOYWW again. Love the mixed media piece, the texture makes me want to touch it. Love the view of your space, like the new clothes line. I have mini versions of this. Cx #31
I’ve had gesso (and acrylic paint, too) bubble when I applied a heat tool. However, I’ve never had the joy of experiencing the beauty of a piece like yours. It is stunning.
Thanks for visiting me while I slept, ate, showered, and cuddled with Blebeard. Happy WOYWW from #1.
OOPS, Bleubeard will be very unhappy that I can’t spell his name (GRIN).
Thanks for sharing your work! Love it. My word for the year is: replenish – to fill with inspiration or power!
Love the textured effect on your gesso toast !! Ali #36
What a stunning piece. Given I spent WOYWW day out with DH (for a pre-Valentines day long lunch and some dedicated conversation time without the constant demands and interuption we get at home) the title of the piece strikes a chord. I truly love it. Funny how just a tiny snippet of text can spark you off artistically!
Mary Anne (27)
Happy to see your name on my e-mail. Your studio is so inspiring to see so organized. I think if i had a word for the year it would be NOW because i am a procrastinator about getting to the studio but once i am there i am happy as a clam. Why do they call clams Happy?
Don’t you wish sometime you could blow up a section of your work and use that in your book? Wonderful art! be well and happy
My word for the year is SETTLE. Did you realize that you said World, and not word in your post?
TX Creatrix – saying “World” instead of “word” is a typing mistake, maybe even a Freudian one? Ha! Therefore, I will leave it as it is…