Ah - there is no better vacation in my book than to do a workshop. I’ve just had a three-day masterclass with the wonderful textile artist, Glenys Mann. Glenys comes from Tamworth, NSW. She makes wonderful art quilts, runs great events and is an all-around good egg.
Students were asked to bring paper and fabric to immerse in rust baths and natural dye pots. Every morning, Glenys gathered us to give an assignment. Day 1 we were to make 8 postcards - Message Bearers - about the environment we have the strongest relationship with. We could use paper or cloth - whatever we had on hand.
I did not have to ponder long. The place I have the strongest relationship to is my home-based office. Right here where I am at the moment. Butt (or bum, if you prefer) on seat, tapping away at my computer keyboard. I had brought along to the masterclass some teacher flashcards from the 60’s. My mother used these when she taught first grade. So I cropped one and stitched it to a postcard base with a black “X” marks the spot then dunked the whole thing in a three-part rusting solution and later shellacked it.
“I hope you have a more comfortable computer chair than that to sit on,” said Glenys when I described the card to her.
The stained postcard paints a sad story of a woman slaving away at an uncomfortable task in appalling circumstances. In fact, my environment isn’t that way at all. I love working on the computer. It is varied work and the programs I use are quite creative. I compose, I edit photos and scans, I correspond, I look at other websites and am constantly learning and being inspired.
I DO have a more comfortable chair than this. (But sometimes my posture in that chair is pretty shocking. Perhaps a chair like this would do me some good!)
The butt goes on the chair to work and the butt goes on the chair to play. Lucky me - it is hard to differentiate which is which.
But let’s not be flippant and dismiss the grunge yet. Maybe art speaks truths that at first we choose to ignore.
During sharing time at the masterclass I raised the fact that life for me was about feeding the soul with play … and about achieving respect. I want to play. I want people to value what I do. Strangely, the people I am closest to in life aren’t terribly interested in the nitty-gritty of my various projects. How can they value what I do if they don’t even know about it? This wouldn’t matter if my projects were undertaken in a normal working environment, like an office where I was surrounded by co-workers. Then, at least, I’d get feedback of some kind. The work would be discussed and celebrated. But I work from home as a sole worker and most contact I have with others is via email - not even phone conversations.
I’ve come around to see that this postcard actually reflects that aspect of my environment - the isolation. There’s only one chair; no others. My environment IS rather desolate and sad in certain aspects. I don’t dwell on it, but it can’t be denied.
Oh well, put your butt on the chair and get on with it. Alright? Alright.
I made this skirt on New Year’s Eve - I used a commercial wrap pattern but decorated the front panel with strips of patchwork fabrics and trims. I wanted to create something unique.
My brother recommended this book by David Allen: Getting Things Done; The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Allen prescribes a way of developing lists and keeping them, along with all your other papers and “stuff” organized at your work space.
Yesterday morning there were no fresh flowers in this house yet today there are three bouquets and a flowering plant. I celebrated my 47th birthday and life is good.
I’m excited.
My two best friends are both named Robyn: Robyn S-S and Roby S-V. (Roby is pronounced “robbie”. It is very nice of her to prefer this to “Robyn” as it helps me distinguish the two when I speak about them.)
