Saturday Share: August 29th

 This week's Saturday Share is one I often use as a prime example of why my tag line for Ladybug's Cabin is "Follow Your Art". 

So often we feel as if we have to have a project completely mapped out in our mind in order to achieve the end goal, when rather, it is the willingness to begin with an inspiration and an open mind to where that project might lead us, that creates the best magic. 

Forest Shadows

My journey for this piece began with a bit of marbled fabric. The earth tones and movement intrigued me and I thought it would be a fun fabric to create a background using Gloria Loughman's technique called Radiant Landscapes. I collected a variety of different fabrics in the colors found in my inspiration fabric and began playing with the placement of the colored tiles. 

As I worked, the base fabric started to 'talk'-- requesting that a portion of it remain uncovered. In doing so I started to notice the outline of a tree trunk became visible. Once the world of a shadowy forest came into play the piece then began to ask the question of what kind of animal might wander into the frame. Again, inspired by the earthy tones I thought this tree might be a good place for a bear to pause for a moments rest.

I got out some different colors of wool roving and began to create a needle-felted bear's head to add to the forest scene. 

I had as much fun discovering what the next step wanted to be, as I did in the creating each new element. Working collaboratively with my art, instead of as a dictator, brought this piece to life. 

Not every piece comes as quickly and smoothly in this style of working, but having experienced the joy of the journey, it reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke:

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”

― Rainer Maria Rilke