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You are currently browsing all posts tagged with 'inspiration'.
Displaying 1 entry.

Summer Explorations

  • Posted on August 31, 2014 at 2:40 pm

Spiral Inspiration

I’ve been pretty busy living weekend to weekend all summer.  It’s been difficult to squeeze in a post or two and continue to work my day job with so much going on every weekend.  That being said, I just had to share my experience with the debut show of Quilt, Knit, Stitch in Portland this August.

John reluctantly attended the show with me on Saturday, August 16th, the last day.  We figured we’d spend a couple hours at the show, but were so surprised to see that it was much more than advertised or expected.  We got there just before noon and were taken back by the extensive exhibits alone. In this post I’ll share a few of the quilts that spoke to me.  So glad that John accompanied me to take these photos with his phone as I didn’t anticipate the photo opportunity.

If you’ve read previous posts you know that spirals are a source of inspiration for me.  Hence, the quilt shown above really called to me.  I admired the artist’s interpretation of the spiral form.

Feeling Good.

This quilt reminded me of dancers letting go and enjoying their craft.  The free, flexible form is what I hope to capture in my creative works.

Working It.

I loved the depth of this quilt.  The artist knew how to use the gradation characteristics of the fabric to work the magic here.

Hope you enjoyed this post and can catch this show when it comes around to you.  I’ll have more on the other elements of the exhibits in a future post.

-Karen

Humming – part two

  • Posted on July 2, 2014 at 8:38 pm

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Oh my, how time has flown while I’ve been having fun OR not. Life has been difficult lately and the silliest of things inspired me to write this post tonight. I spotted my first hummingbird of the summer right there in my own back yard, flitting from flower to flower. Blooms have popped open over the last few days with our recent burst of warm weather here in the great Northwest. So yes….it was literally a hummingbird that enticed me to post part two of Humming.

IMG_1519That being said, the second baby quilt for my youngest grandchild was delivered on time for his first birthday. I obtained paint chips from his mama that were used to create a vibrant nursery long before he was born and used these to purchase fabrics for his quilt.

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As this quilt was my own design, I was incredibly compelled to put it together. The bright colors and the spectacular blue and green wiggly stripe were fun to work with. I found complete joy in transferring the design in my head to paper, and then cutting and piecing the fabric together in a cohesive top. The finished quilt was a result of my individual creative journey in connecting with my grandson.

I’ve talked about inspiration in previous posts, but I haven’t touched on how the creative process itself can be inspiring. Sometimes I can talk myself out of working on a project because I am tired or upset with aspects of my life that are beyond my control. When I choose to throw myself into the process anyway, a soothing calm usually comes over me. I am invigorated and refreshed, and my creative juices start flowing with the simplest of tasks involving fiber, fabric, beads, or embellishments. Amazing!

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Our responsibilities and obligations take up much of our daily lives, but these are not who we are. They do not define us. I believe that our true selves lie in all things that bring us joy. I invite you to lighten your load, wrap yourself in comfort and hum within the creative process…whatever that may be.

– Karen

A Few of My Favorite Things

  • Posted on January 5, 2014 at 8:20 pm

IMG_3048Two experiences today gave me pause to ponder inspiration beyond reason.  Yes, I did say beyond reason.

I was having coffee with a friend this morning. Her daughter, all of three and half years of age, engaged another regular at the coffee shop, an older gentleman that seemed fascinated with the technology of her new Leap Frog tablet.  He spent several minutes visiting with her, allowing her to share all the many items of interest on the new gadget she had received for Christmas.  As we were getting ready to leave, the man commented that she would be ahead of all the other kids when starting school.  He went on to share how he had a very hard time with school, having suffered from attention deficit disorder and dyslexia.  He discovered that what interested him most is what he needed to successfully learn.  He learned to read because he was so interested in a particular story, he wouldn’t allow himself to be distracted by other things going on around him.  This created his focus on the learning at hand. Once reading had been mastered, the door holding him back was unlocked and he felt as though he could do anything.

Another observation today: watching a seven month old baby, who was tired, but still remarkably entertained when distracted.  He became so excited upon a new discovery, his whole body went into motion displaying his delight and interest in something new. This interactive learning drew a  smile across his face and those around him.

These events caused me to consider how easy it is to learn when we are interested in what we are doing…..and how we can continue to learn by staying interested.  This led me to other thoughts as well, like what interests and/or inspires me to keep along the creative journey.

Presently, spirals are particularly fascinating to me and I am adamant that something will develop from this as I learn about them.  I am energized by observing, photographing, tracing and drawing spirals.  Uncovering them in my environment is particularly exciting to me, like finding a lost connection or relationship. Spirals are like treasures that I have the good fortune to reestablish in a future creative endeavor.

Now tell me, what inspires you?

– Karen