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Well! Creativity is an interesting, mischievous, time ignoring, control busting, sanity testing mistress. As we artists all well know. This past July was one big artistic playground for me. And yet, I seemed stuck, once again, in regards to my box submission to the Annual Box Show hosted by Gallery Route One in Point Reyes, CA. Each year around 150 artists from the Bay Area are given the same wooden box to alter to their heart's content, then a special exhibition showcases their work. Each year a lottery is held to fill the empty spots vacated by artists. This is an amazing show -- the variety of talent, humor, and artistry is across the board. My creation began as usual. My 11"T x 11"W x 5.5"D box sat in my studio staring me in the face for two months. I had no inclination, no desire, no idea about what I was going to do. I trusted that something would come if I looked at the "whole picture" (that I wanted to create something/that I didn't). But I was definitely afraid this time that I would really have to forfeit my place by dropping out.
Ah, the muse...where was she?! Five days before the deadline, I woke up and an image came to me of something shooting out of the box... a figurative display of the act of getting out of my head. Because its the head that stops forward motion and creativity...and passion. But how was I do to this? I don't feel comfortable enough yet to draw and paint. I wouldn't have a clue as to how I would attach things to my box. And what would I attach? Oh! The questions were immediate and horribly invasive to the original feeling about what I wanted the box to be! So I went back to the place that I call my "still space". And I affirmed that I would know where how to get there.
First came the colors -- metallic turquoise for the interior, metallic olive green for the exterior. And a nice hot pink for the rim of the box. Then what? I let it sit. Next day, it came to me that I had an unused jewelry stand stored in the barn. I went out and found it, and picked up the heavy duty fence wire clippers that hang on the wall out there. I cut the jewelry stand apart, and charged up the electric drill. The next day I stenciled on the exterior of the box hot pink curlicues. I drilled holes in the box and glued those wires in. Yep! That's feeling I had. Get Out of My Head! Now what? The box looked pretty good, but I still wanted to somehow shoe that this was a head. I was in Cost Plus looking for some birds to hang on the wire (don't ask me why) and found three wooden mirrors, and some cool fabric bracelets from India. Got back home, glued the mirrors in, found a colorful fish earring from the 70's and I liked it. This box definitely had a mind of its own. I created a few feather-ribbon bundles, hung the bracelets on the wires. I liked the activity, I liked the sense of humor. This box and this creative turned out to be unlike anything I've ever done before. Hmmm. I would never have thought it would have turned out like this. Here's to the Muse...may She reign forever!
