I realize that my “artist block” isn’t really a block at all. Nor is my creativity simply dried up and gone. Rather, my creative self is taking a quiet retreat as she rights herself in a world that has been turned crazily upside down since January 1st. She’s feeling it, processing it, and making peace–but with that comes a need for solitude in creativity, a fallow period while she gets her heart right, a bit of dark to trudge through before she can fully appreciate the light again. The creative spark is resting and dreaming again of the days when it cannot be contained. Until then, I wait and play with simple glass and glue in three minute increments as I bounce from task to task.

What I can say is that in the past few months I have come to value community and my friends so much more than I realized was possible. I find myself surrounded by the most amazing people–largely women, a few men–who are creative and funny, musical and quirky, deep-thinking and light-hearted, honest and compassionate, fiercely loyal and wickedly smart, quietly wise and incredibly brave. I have met people who are so truly authentic that they glow. I found this community in my close circle of friends and more recently, in a tribe of women called the Twin Cities Women’s Choir.

I’ve only been a member of the Twin Cities Women’s Choir since February. There are 150 members and I don’t know nearly all of their names. Sometimes it’s just a smile on a familiar face. But singing with them has been such an incredible solace to me on days when I just didn’t have it in me to crawl out of bed in the morning. Wind in my sails and laughter in my heart, no matter what had happened earlier in the day or the week. I looked forward to Wednesday night rehearsals and was quite literally crestfallen when I caught a nasty bug and kept myself home so that I didn’t breathe all over everyone else. There is something joyful about singing for me, but this was truly something else that I wasn’t able to put my finger on until we got closer to the spring concert: Community. Family. Home. Fellowship. Things I didn’t realize I was missing.

Funny that I didn’t know my life had a choir sized hole in it–but it did. Here’s a clip from the concert  earlier this month–one of my favorite songs. (Don’t mind the odd “percussion” with forks and knives in the beginning–people were eating dessert…) I hope you enjoy the clip and I hope that maybe this song will be the balm you need in your life today–right now.

With much love and gratefulness to the Tribe of Women who’ve held me up,

Rachel

I’m the person who usually has four different projects going at one time and a bunch more rolling around in my head just waiting for their time to jump on my table and become a reality. I’m usually much more ADD–moving from project to project as inspiration moves me, tiling as many projects as possible before I force myself to grout them and get them finished.

I’ve tried the usual creativity jump start activities. I’ve purchased more stained glass scraps. I even sorted through them and picked out the colors that caught my fancy. I went to an artisan tile studio in NE Minneapolis and picked through their tile seconds, again choosing the colors I like best. Both are spread out across my table.

I’ve played with color schemes and arrangements. I have a special request project to start…but can’t seem to get myself revved up enough to do it. I’ve tried sitting at my table and just playing. I went curbsiding with a friend and found a really cool pedestal base that I can mosaic.

I discovered what I think I want to do to the tesserae for my female figure garden art, but I have to collect the blue bottles…and hopefully, slump little chunks of glass in a kiln so the edges are soft and melty rather than sharp, but I haven’t made any forward steps on it.

But I can’t seem to get the creativity to flow. I look at my beautifully arranged studio–so much more organized and effectively laid out than it’s ever been before. I have all the materials I love best and…

Nothing.

Crickets.

Odd silence.

Blankness.

So, creative friends–now what? Any suggestions to bring the joy back? I’ve thought of taking a class–but funds are limited. I’m going to Art-a-Whirl this weekend in hopes of jump starting my creative side. I’ve even pondered whether or not mosaic has served its purpose for me and whether I should simply sell or donate my supplies and move on. I’m not there yet, but it’s occurred to me more than once of late.

Suggestions?

More pictures to come when Our Lady finds her spot in the Divine Miss M’s home.

Love you cousin!

Rachel

I am also pleased to report that “Tree,” the 6′ piece showing the yoga position by the same name, is on display at Mosaic on a Stick and will be included in the Minnesota Mosaic Guild’s Spring Show! Opening night this Saturday at 7 PM at Mosaic on a Stick. You should totally come! There will be lots of amazing mosaic work on display, much of it for sale, plus refreshments and fabulous people. And I will be there!

Okay, that’s what I have for you this week. More art next week, I promise!

Peace,

Rachel

Don’t get me wrong–I will do my fair share of lifting, but I figured I would love myself a heckuva a lot more if they handled the furniture and really heavy stuff.

Anyway, with all that moving, I haven’t been creating as much as I might like to, but I did manage to finish one piece earlier this week. No name yet, just my tribute to the warm weather and early spring that Minnesota has been having lately.

Here’s my Gerber daisy–not grouted yet–but that is my “reward” for getting my life packed up and ready for the movers this weekend.

It’s about 18″ square, give or take, and I haven’t decided if I will keep it and hang it in my new bathroom.  (This gerber daisy shower curtain inspired the piece and will hang in my new bathroom soon!)

It’s not an exact match, but it’s close enough for me…so we will see if it hangs in my space–or if it goes to one of my friends who’ve already expressed interest in it!

Wish me luck as I get ready to move…

Rachel

A friend of mine told me she liked the piece I did on Mary and when I asked which one, she indicated that she hadn’t seen the others, so I thought we could review them here…

This one is “Our Lady of Shooting Stars.”

And here’s the one that started it all, “Madonna on the Rocks.”

I have two more that I don’t have finished pictures of now that they have been grouted, but you can take a peek at the “in process” pictures of “Our Lady of Cherry Blossoms” and “Fugue, Our Lady of the Streets.” I promise to get finished pics for next week!

I am also working on a giant interpretive Gerber daisy–pics of that too.

Have a great week!

Rachel

Here she is:

“Yogini #1: Spirit of Tree”

I am looking for a place to show “Tree,” so if you know of a yoga studio / art gallery that would be willing to give her a place to be for a bit or who might be willing to give her a permanent home, nudge me. I’d love to find a place where others can see her on a regular basis. (And truth be told, she’s HEAVY and I’m moving into a second floor walk up apartment and I would rather not carry her up the steps if I can help it!)

I’ve also started a new piece for one of my favorite people in the world and my very first friend, my cousin, Mirra. She has been eyeballing my recent works centered around the Virgin Mary and because I know she’s more of a “red person” than a “blue person” I decided to create a Madonna piece just for her, with reds instead of the traditional Mary blue.

Here’s the first picture of the piece where I’m just starting on the concept of stylized roses…

And here’s an updated shot of what she looked like this morning before I left the house:

Now I have to attack the challenge of the next chunk of empty space. I have a few ideas mulling around in my head, but which one?? I hope to work on her some more this weekend, although my weekend is starting to look a little booked! I’m sure I will sneak in some time for mosaic as well as for working on getting my studio ready to move in a month.

Here’s to an amazing week…

Rachel

I call her “Our Lady of Shooting Stars.”

I love how serene she looks…and there’s been a request for her in California, I think. We shall see!

The second update is on how “Tree” is progressing. Not only is she finished being mosaic’d….

She’s half grouted!

It always amazes me how grout changes and completes a piece…you can see the bottom portion of the image is half grouted. I plan to try and finish grouting her tonight. (Fingers crossed!) We might have to have a mid-week update!

Once I am finished grouting and finishing the rough edges, I’m going to be looking for a home for her–either to show her in a gallery or for private sale…so if you know someone who really, REALLY loves yoga or runs a studio or something and is interested in a large piece of art, let me know! (And there’s more where she came from…I can’t wait to start the next one!)

Cheers and happy Thursday! I can smell the weekend–can you?

Rachel

Here goes:

Remember my sugar skull? Started and completed sometime around Halloween?

It’s grouted now!

The photo makes the tiles on the bottom of the piece a little blurry, but they are actually perfectly clear in real life. One more coat of resin to the Scrabble tiles and then it will be ready to hang on the wall!

Here’s a close up of the skull if you are interested:

Okay, next up is a piece that I originally called “Pondering” I think but I’ve had two people saw the form in the picture reminded them of Buddha. Hmmm. Not my intention, but interesting observation. Looking for a good title for this piece–I’m taking suggestions!

The little cloud looks rather stormy in the big picture, so here’s a close up–it’s actually a friendly little cloud!

Ever have one of those days? Here’s your piece! Makes me think of “Calgon, take me away!”

This little guy is 4″x4″ and is just screaming to be put on someone’s desk somewhere in the great big Corporate Machine.

The next piece is the first of my self portraits, grouted finally!

Here’s an update on “Crazy Quilt”. Fun! (Even if I did take the picture upside down!

Last but not least a good shot of my mermaid, with grout this time.

I’m going to be putting a bunch of my art up for sale soon. Let me know if you  are interested in any of it!

Rachel

Here’s an updated “headshot ” of Tree.

I’m very excited with how her face looks against the blue background of the moon. (I think that’s what that is anyway. LOL) Could be the blue eyes!

I feel like she has a look of calm about her and I like that. I never know how a face is going to turn out…I just sort of build it as it comes to me. The true test will be when I grout her, as that is when she effectively pulls together and reveals her finalized look!

We will see!

Here’s an updated full body shot that is a bit blurry–I was standing on a step stool above the table trying to get a shot that caught the entire piece. Unfortunately, the camera was nearly above my head–hence a bit of movement.

This one is not the entire piece, but at least it isn’t as blurry!

Okay, one more–sort of a mid body shot.

So, that’s my update for this week. I plan to work feverishly on this piece this weekend with the idea of getting it done. Wish me luck!

I’m also going to go to Mosaic on a Stick tonight to spend some quality time with the artists there…and I have two pieces that I will bringing home from the Goddess Show–one that you saw a process picture of and the other that you haven’t seen at all.

Happy Thursday!

Rachel