What was your kindergarten experience like?
Finally, finally I have a moment to catch my breath.
October has been such a month. One of the experiences I have had is a surgery to remove basal cell carcinoma from my back. It's my second bout of skin cancer and much less to deal with than the melanoma on my face from last Autumn.
It did bring about a lot of inner reflection as well as creative reflection.
My productivity as far as visual art has zoomed while my productivity in terms of writing in my usual style of life writing has diminished somewhat. I know I ebb and flow with all my creative practices so I find the best thing is to keep moving along, trusting it will all balance out at the end.
This morning - what feels like days ago - I put together a really simple collage but I adore it. You can see it above, on the right.
One of the bits of healing I have had this month is realizing my art doesn't have to be more, more, more - as I remember the "less is more" contingent and just one image is all that is needed sometimes.
The one I show here is a meet-up between words I wrote about kindergarten several years ago coupled with an illustration from a 1960's vintage children's book I found recently at an estate sale. I didn't ever have blonde hair as a child - though my sister and many of my cousins did.
I love the colors here. They make me breath more gently as I look at the 5 X 5 inch collage which is now on my mantel amidst some other simple vintage children's book art I have created lately.
Mixed Media: Dying Artist Mother and Little Women by Julie Jordan Scott
Finally, this is a bit of the taste of what I intend to experience and share in >%20=%20=%20=%20=%20=%20=%20<<%20%20Plein%20air%20writing%20for%20facebook,%20etcJulie%20Jordan%20Scott%20is%20a%20writer,%20performance%20poet,%20Mommy%20and%20mixed-media%20artist.%20Her%20word-love%20themed%20art%20will%20be%20for%20sale%20at%20First%20Friday%20each%20month%20in%20Downtown%20Bakersfield.%20Check%20out%20the%20links%20below%20to%20follow%20her%20on%20a%20bunch%20of%20different%20social%20media%20channels,%20especially%20if%20you%20find%20the%20idea%20of%20a%20Word-Love%20Party%20bus%20particularly%20enticing.%20%20Please%20stay%20in%20touch:%20Follow%20me%20on%20Twitter:%20@JulieJordanScot%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Be%20sure%20to">>%20=%20=%20=%20=%20=%20=%20<<%20%20Plein%20air%20writing%20for%20facebook,%20etcJulie%20Jordan%20Scott%20is%20a%20writer,%20performance%20poet,%20Mommy%20and%20mixed-media%20artist.%20Her%20word-love%20themed%20art%20will%20be%20for%20sale%20at%20First%20Friday%20each%20month%20in%20Downtown%20Bakersfield.%20Check%20out%20the%20links%20below%20to%20follow%20her%20on%20a%20bunch%20of%20different%20social%20media%20channels,%20especially%20if%20you%20find%20the%20idea%20of%20a%20Word-Love%20Party%20bus%20particularly%20enticing.%20%20Please%20stay%20in%20touch:%20Follow%20me%20on%20Twitter:%20@JulieJordanScot%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Be%20sure%20to">> = = = = = = << Plein air writing for facebook, etcJulie Jordan Scott is a writer, performance poet, Mommy and mixed-media artist. Her word-love themed art will be for sale at First Friday each month in Downtown Bakersfield. Check out the links below to follow her on a bunch of different social media channels, especially if you find the idea of a Word-Love Party bus particularly enticing. Please stay in touch: Follow me on Twitter: @JulieJordanScot Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook. (Thank you!) Follow on Instagram And naturally, on Pinterest, too!" target="_blank">Art Everyday Month 2013. My intention is to create simply and on a smaller scale than I have, perhaps, in the past. I will be staying with something vintage and something about the feminine perspective in each piece. Here is another preview that completely stirs me:
The face is of an older woman from a canvas I bought at an estate sale. I almost felt guilty cutting into this painting I bought for one dollar - one dollar! Where is the artist's family? Why didn't one of them swoop in for this piece? My piece is a bit of lament and grief for both the painter and her family. The origami dressed coupled with it comes from a page from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women which I painted with acrylics. For those of you who are familiar with the width and breadth of Louisa May Alcott's life, you know there was a lot of grief and suffering there, too.
What you can't see is the collage is in the middle of a serving dish - most likely for bread. I have made several works of art in serving dishes and platters, all of which focus on some aspect of womanhood, usually a paradoxical combination of love and loss.
May the healing of our physical aches and our emotional aches continue.
My prayer is to bring 2014 in with a shift to an entirely different level of wholeness. The spiral moves up and I am smiling as I swing along.
I look forward to getting to know you via Art Every Day Month, 2013.
>> = = = = = = <<
Julie
Jordan Scott is a writer, performance poet, Mommy and mixed-media artist. Her
word-love themed art will be for sale at First Friday each month in Downtown
Bakersfield. Check out the links below to follow her on a bunch of different
social media channels, especially if you find the idea of a Word-Love Party bus
particularly enticing.
Please stay in touch: Follow me on Twitter: @JulieJordanScot
Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook. (Thank you!)
Follow on Instagram
And naturally, on Pinterest, too!
