So far this year - from September - I've not had many periods of decent vision. I've had no vision in my right eye and only about 50-60% in my left on a good day. So, I've been struggling to be productive.
What I've got to show for my efforts (related to the program) is the following.
I was able to get into the Printing studio in September and do some A1 prints. I did it (I am planning two more hopefully end of February after my surgery) on the offset press, It was a learning process - the first press was a bit messy due to me flicking white for "stars" which ran in the rolling process. But I was pretty happy with the third pull. The second pull is hung up in the Printing studio, so these photos are the first, third and fourth pull.
I know, if I want to do another like this to use acrylic paint very precisely, not flick the inks!
Plans for the next two A1 prints are an abstract (similar to the work below - the cut-up stuff) and a landscape of sorts.
I had been planning to create a book of prints/imagery, with added dimension to make them tactile, based on my visions. However, my eyes tanked and my prototype stalled with this:
It is a watercolour that I intended to be the base for building up textures - it was to have more detail in this step but, I am not able to see well enough at the moment. And, as I can't see clearly, creating textures and using new materials (to me) I abandoned this idea, for now.
Then I moved on. In October I took the first two workshops with Martin Brook (I posted about the first one previously.) In the second one we put very large paper on the walls and went nuts marking them up with various media - charcoal, India ink, acrylic inks, black and white paint. I actually wasn't that thrilled with the results. I like - well, used to need really, control and hate being messy with my work.
I did a second one where I taped six sheets up together, taped all around their edges and did more of a deliberate pattern. I just now laid them out on the floor to take a photo... I think I have them aligned as they were. I forget to take photos as I work most of the time.
As I didn't want to waste all the work I put in on the first massive one, I hacked it up into a huge mass of pieces which I brought home. I didn't take a photo of it before I took it down to cut up.
This massive pile of odd sized scraps was taking up space in my room and I was trying to figure out what to do with it. I had an epiphany a few weeks ago. I hauled out the bundle and cut a few of the big pieces into strips... and wove them!
I mounted it on some heavy black cardboard (recycled from a fabric sample book.) It measures approx. 16x16" (aka 40x40 cm). I sealed it with matte Mod Podge. I really like it. I will be getting it on a solid backing board to get rid of the warp before displaying.
I also will be making a mobile with other random pieces of it - I've been working my way through the stack, sealing them all with Mod Podge before assembling (using the charcoal was a mistake in my opinion.) The following photos are only about a quarter of the pieces I've sealed so far...
The rest are in my press, flattening. These will go in when they are completely cured.
How I will be making the mobile will be using black grommets and black cord to connect pieces to each other, then suspend. It will either be three-sided or circular, I will decide once I've assembled panels to see how they hang and whether they need a frame support to hold shape. It's going to be extremely light so I can suspend it using 3M Command Ceiling Hooks - each hook is good for 0.5 lb, so I'll have to calculate the total load, distribute the weight and use enough hooks.
I'm working on ideas for using up any pieces that are left after the mobile is assembled. Although, I could possibly make the mobile the entire height of the gallery space?!
I've been working with a creativity coach since late December - we chat weekly. She's been really useful to me as a sounding board, and excellent at kicking me in the behind. It helps so much to ease my frustration with my loss of vision and trying to adapt. She addressed that frustration with not being able to work how I used to, and not being able to get things to turn out the way I visualized them by pointing out that perfection is the enemy of creativity. Which made sense... I've always wanted things as perfect as I can make them, and that isn't happening anymore, so I need to let it go (song cue!)
I am to make art every day, no matter what. And it doesn't need to be "good enough" to show anyone, I just need to create daily. And learn to relax in the process of that creativity.
The date for surgery on my right eye has been moved up to February 9th - so, fingers crossed, I will hopefully have some level of vision restored soon after. It won't be perfect as this is not addressing the retinopathy, just removing the cataract, but at least I'll be able to have two eyes that maybe can manage, together, to focus on something.
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