Finding the sacred everywhere. Thoughts on religion, art, books, politics, philosophy, and life in general from a Unitarian Universalist minister.
Yesterday’s art project was brought to us by our wonderful branch library: a workshop in turning plain notebooks into beautiful journals via decoupage. The children’s librarian who led it provided lots of great papers, magazine clippings categorized by my daughter who volunteers there weekly, and withdrawn books such as X-Men comics and a volume of M. C. Escher’s art. As you can see, I used his Tower of Babel.
Drying:
Front cover:
Back cover:
#100days
It’s been almost a month now of making art for a little while every day. I missed it on Tuesday, just tumbling into bed and not even remembering until morning that I’d meant to do some art. I also forgot it was trash night.
This morning, I was so jazzed to continue the piece I’d begun the night before that I worked on it before even showering. And then it blessed my whole day. It’s more altered text, of the text from an Atlas of the Ancient World (sic; it’s the ancient Mediterranean and environs, a very small world) and inspired by the maps themselves, and the day’s impeachment hearing. I am feeling a deep kinship with ancient Nineveh, and admiration for the people if that city. They put on sackcloth and ashes and repented? Amazing.
Here are that piece and another, both still in progress.
#100days
I’ve been playing with charcoal, having tossed a drawing pad and a box of various charcoals into my bag for a short trip out of town. Yesterday I drew a still life (Joy: “A bowl of fruit? Isn’t that kind of a cliché?” Me: “But look at all the different textures in one place. That’s why so many artists like to paint them!”) (Or possibly: Because they’re frequently available, and, as Joy reasoned, they don’t move). Today I was so moved and inspired by Rex LeBeau’s drawing, Shadow, in the UU World, that I just wanted to try out different effects with the charcoal, so that’s what I did.
Doing some art every day is definitely a good thing in my life. And a good example of the games some of us have to play just to get ourselves doing what we want to do. For me, it helps to have made a page of 100 numbered, dated squares in my journal. Every day I make art, I fill in the day’s square. The compulsive in me really doesn’t want to leave any of them blank, so on the days when I’ve been tired and tempted to go to sleep and skip art time, compulsiveness works in my favor.
Even deciding on 100 days in a row is a game. Whatever works.
#100days
The cat spends the entire day in one spot, but she actually seldom stays still for long. It’s hard for me to draw fast enough to capture one pose before she stretches and turns and settles into another one.
So here is Luna twice in quick succession.
“Problems in Translation”
Assemblage, 6″ x 10″ x 2″
Cardboard, paper, key, lock, thread
I have a lot of trouble finishing pieces. This piece will probably be followed by others on similar themes, which helps me declare this one done.
#100days
This image, like all others on this site not otherwise identified, is (c) Amy Zucker Morgenstern
I haven’t posted the past few days, but I did art every day except for Friday, when (what was I just saying about not waiting until the end of the day?) I lay down at around 9 p.m. and slept right through until the morning. So today I did two.
The first was this drawing done with the SketchbookX app.
I’m really enjoying having this app as a “sketchbook” available wherever I go. I usually carry a small paper sketchbook with me also, but carrying a full range of colors for it is not as easy.
Then I got back to the assemblage I’ve been working on. I think the collaged part is done, and tomorrow I can start stringing the threads that will hold an old-fashioned lock suspended in the middle.
I had no idea until tonight that I was going to incorporate music. I love those discoveries.
#100days
I need to start doing my art earlier in the day. If I don’t do it before work, then I can’t get to it until after the end of the work day, the drive home, and dinner. Then I’m tired.
Tonight it was not until after all of that, plus Halloween (a neighborhood affair: everyone goes up and down the commercial street, enjoying everyone else’s costumes), then a family viewing of The Nightmare Before Christmas, that I got down to art time. Tiredness drove the content (a self-portrait at the kitchen table) and the medium (charcoal, because the drawer of drawing materials stuck and I couldn’t get at the conté crayons I was planning on), and they went together just right. Conté would’ve been too fussy.
Day 10 of #100days.
Earlier today I had plans to continue with the collaging of the keys and lock piece, but I was busy and by the time the World Series and dinner were over, I didn’t have the energy. I curled up with our cat and my smartphone drawing app for more exploration of this new medium. Here’s Luna.
Day 9 of #100days
Ahhhh! I want this piece to have many layers, and they’re starting to come in with this collaging.
Why red? I have no idea. I just saw it as having a red, slightly translucent later, and when I went looking for red tissue paper in our holidays-and-gift-supplies shelves, I found red streamers. I like the wrinkled texture too.
Give me scissors, paper, and rubber cement and I’m happy.
#100days of making art, day eight.
I think I’ve worked out what I’ll need to do with the threading when I can get to it, and I’ve borrowed my daughter’s bookbinding awl and made the holes along the sides that I’ll need. I am eager to get to that step, but there is more collaging to do of the inside first. When I’ve done some or all of that, tomorrow, I’ll post a photo.
That’s my day 7: one week of art every day. Are you doing #100days? Of what? How is it going for you?
Sermons in Stones 
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