Ya Gotta Have Faith.

Dear four day weekend, 

I love you.  I really do.

Wait, sorry...I was distracted by the awesomeness of having an extra day added onto my weekend.  Where to start?  Well, judged a competition on Saturday...I know that not everyone out there can relate, but I really do love art and cheerleading pretty equally.  After turning my head for every shimmery t-shirt, bag, jacket, uniform or pom that passed by...I am beginning to think maybe it is the sparkle that keeps me coming back.  

Came for the cheer.  Stayed for the sparkle.

So after driving back from Fort Lauderdale...yep, nap.  Then, yep, right again- art.

My husband has somehow dragged me into watching another show.  So we watched the show and I worked on my art...my favorite thing ever.  Below are some in progress pics as well as the final picture of CED13- 19.  That was last night.  I have been working on the backgrounds a little more, adding line, color, texture, pattern...  The first pieces in the series just have white backgrounds.  One reason...in my head I was thinking that if I tried to license the images or use them for cards I could have more options with a white background...change the background color, apply it on a textured background digitally...but I have decided to just go ahead and add the backgrounds if I want to and not worry about any commercial aspects.  My daily pieces seem to just be for me, occasionally I sell some...they don't seem to be right for the art licensing market...

So I will just make them for me.  

Last night's gal is surrounded by a swirly background, and she has a birdcage tattoo on her shoulder.  I was thinking of a line from an Avett Brothers song, ' Head Full Of Doubt, Road Full Of Promise'

There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in and demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid with a head full of doubt
So I’ll scream til I die and the last of those bad thoughts are finally out

For me...these words really ring true to what I have been going through the past couple of weeks with trying to get my work out there.  Having really wrote much about it...but I have been sending inquiries out regarding getting my work licensed.  It can be very discouraging, and at time has been just frustrating... but I really had to just remember that I am going to make my art, no matter if art licensing folk want it, or anyone for that matter. I can't doubt myself, or what I do... like the art in my is the bird, and I am freeing it.  

But it wasn't all negative...I did have a promising phone call this past week.  Fingers crossed, I am working on some images and I hope that this could be something good...but if not, again, I won't doubt myself.  I can't.  I will just keep on doing what I do, making this art.

Bright and early this morning, I awoke with the idea to paint an angel. An angel to give to Faith Ringgold.  So I did.  I draw out an angel in a patchwork dress, holding a needle and thread and reaching for a star that says, 'Faith'.  I just had to do it.  Then I took it to the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach.

I was distracted by an awesome installation in the front lobby of the museum, hand beaded images on vellum with the bare threads showing in the background, framed.  I love this idea...especially the fact that the work was combining textile technique, the beadwork, with a more traditional presentation, framed paper. In the back of my mind I remember...I love beading...and fibers...I definitely need to revisit my own textile combinations.  


I digress.  

Of course I had to find the bee and take and Art Hive pic...then I checked some of the exhibits. I was inches from a Nick Cave Soundsuit.  The textures...attention to detail...wow.  A Faith Ringgold art quilt...right in front of me. Art Heaven.

...then I headed to the lecture hall, packaged up my gift and sketched while I waited for the lecture by Faith Ringgold, one of my art idols. She was dressed in a red lace shirt, a shimmery headscarf, oversized spiral earrings and red sequinned boots.  A lady after my own sparkly heart!

And the lecture was great.  Will dedicate a separate blog post to that...maybe tomorrow. 

After the lecture, Faith was signing books.  She signed my copy of Tar Beach and also really seemed to like the angel I painted for her.  A-ma-zing!

Jenny, come back to earth.

Oh, oh yes.  Reality.  Hello.  After the Norton...back home to watch some football with my husband (yay, Ravens!) and finish up the piece I started before the lecture, CED13- 20.   Decided to add a little more color to the background of this one, and working with a paisley design.  I think maybe I saw a paisley at the Norton today and it turned up in my work.

And...that's it.  Time to watch a show with my favorite person in the world, my husband.  Night ya'll!