Tag Archives: challenge

Sailing on

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Mixed media with Polish postage stamp

The sun still has a red glow to it in the mornings and evenings due to the wildfire smoke drifting across the country. All the rain we have received would be welcome to the west, but the weather doesn’t work that way. Those rainy days have meant more studio than outdoor time, which is a good thing as I have been able to explore different materials and techniques as a result. I gave myself this summer to redirect and reset my art goals. It has meant a lot of work, and out of my comfort zone thinking, but I have stuck with it. I have kept my excitement up and figured out each obstacle that arose, even if it meant I had to admit ignorance and ask for help. It has been an expansive summer for me as I have done this, and though I don’t want to rush fall, I am ready for this next step.

Brush it up

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Brush it up, mixed media piece with vintage elements

A rubber tooth brush. In 1899 this was likely quite an amazing item to find at your local shop. it is easy to forget how our ordinary day to day items were once considered new fangled contraptions. The descriptions in these old ads often result in raised eyebrows. In this one, the line “Bailey’s celebrated bath and flesh brushes” seems like an odd choice of words. Wouldn’t it be presupposed that with bathing you would use a bath brush on you flesh? They surely can have meant to imply the brushes were flesh. And the word “celebrated” denotes a certain touch of renown was attached to the Bailey line, even if just as ad copy.

As I work my way through the tinkerlab monthly challenge I am having fun going through my paper stash and finding gems like the ad I used in this piece. It is both fun and frustrating to try and winkle out what the word each day will bring to mind. But that is the point of a challenge, to push the boundaries we enclose ourselves behind.

On the go

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Mixed media piece in bright colors with text “you go girl”

I think I have been busy. I have lots of notes and prep work underway, but it doesn’t feel like progress, just busy work. And while I know the journey starts with a single step, it can feel as if not much has been achieved, the end goal is over the horizon. There are so many tasks I have to tackle and figure out. Building an email list, writing content for the new site, increasing engagement etc, it can all feel overwhelming. It also feels exciting, a whole new direction to head off in. I need to let both sets of feelings have their space as I stay the course towards my goal. And calmly breathe in and out.