Friday, March 10, 2017

Taize I

Diversions

Sometimes I need a diversion.When I'm stuck in my painting process or sequence, I experiment with something totally different.These small tapestries were inspired by organic forms found in my landscape.We have banana plants surrounding our property. When I trim the dead leaves I often pull off strips of bark and dry them by laying books on top as a press. When dry, I find beautiful variations of texture and natural color imprinted on the strips. I also dry and press leaves I find on the ground in our landscape. 


Taize II
Another activity I do when stuck is read about other artists. I subscribe to a weekly email titled Sam & Joe - TextileArtist.org. Their letter features various textile artists and processes. Recently I read one of the posts and found inspiration for combining stitching with natural forms by artist Alice Fox.I often incorporate thread and stitching in my paintings but this time I was inspired to combine thread with natural forms on raw linen sans paint. 

Taize III


By combining these two inspirations I made five 8" x 8" meditative pieces. The process reminded me of Taize music. A friend introduced me to Taize choruses a few years ago at a contemplative retreat. The music emphasizes simple phrases, usually lines from Psalms or other scripture, repeated several times.  I searched Taize music on my iPad and played it while I was working.One of the phrases was; Bless the Lord, my soul/And bless God's holy  name/Bless the Lord, my soul/Who leads me into life. The music is uncomplicated, often with organ and choir accompaniment. That's the backstory for Taize Tapestries and I hope you'll enjoy seeing the results of my diversion.  I'm back on track with painting again so I think it was worth the change in process.  Click image to zoom.
Taize V

Taize IV