Week 18

Mimi: Follow Those Intuitions  fabric, paper

Mimi:  Follow Those Intuitions  I was all over the place today. I started one thing, then went on to others.Then I went back to the first idea because it was most alive.







Bibi: 

Bibi: art you do, art i do   fabric, beads

art you do art i do

you know

   what

  i know

  i know

   what

you know

 you feel

    how

   i feel

   i feel

    how

  you feel

  you see

     why

    i see

    i see

     why

  you see

  you do

     art

    i do

    i do

     art

   you do

Week 17

Mimi:  O's  paper, fabric, found objects.  Bibi:  All in an Afternoon  photo, branch, found objects.

         

        

Mimi: O's detail

 

Mimi:  O's

Changing identities.  Walking around the studio, touching different things, looking, adjusting, fixing. What am I going to do today? I opened a folder and saw these colored translucent papers with some shapes cut from them - O’s , circles.   I saw an old broken jewelry piece - an elephant, the negative space creating the shape.  I put these all together into a collage.  I was thinking about the project and the commitment to keep at it. It was teaching me to live in the reality of the current moment, live through this one hour being on the same wavelength.

  

Bibi:

Bibi: All in an Afternoon detail

All in an Afternoon

all on your own

you come down from

the wall, where I

left you twenty years ago

revive, revive

make me new again

rewire, rewire

match you with a nectar

you smile, I smile

a nectar smile

we all smile, calling all “O”

all in an afternoon

Week 15

Bibi: The Blue Diamonds  mixed media

Mimi: Blue Diamonds cut fabric

Mimi:   Blue Diamonds

I entered the studio this morning and the sunlight was shining brightly through the window.  I noticed it shining through a small electric fan in the table. It created small diamond shapes on the blue fabric underneath it.  I traced the shadows on the fabric and cut out the diamond shapes.  Bright sunlight, cool blue fabric, diamonds.

Bibi: detail

Bibi:    The Blue Diamonds

At 8:30, I walked into my studio and noticed the blue diamond paperweights that my parents gave to me. They barely glowed in the sunlight, even though they are a very dense color. For some reason, these objects were not packed away with the rest of my things, and they stood out to me today. I made a connection between the blue color and my “blues,” as well as the connection to my parents. The two diamond-gems are not transparent and the color is very heavy. I thought about how a lot of my “blues” can be traced back to my parents.

The poem came to me right away, so I wrote it down. It wasn’t 9 AM yet, so I played the piano and thought of the blue diamonds. When 9 came, I went to my box of stuff and pulled out a book of blue fabric samples. I saw the diamond shapes in the designs and put the together pieces that I thought worked together.

When I told Mimi about my blue diamonds, she laughed. It turns about she had seen a blue diamond pattern on her studio wall that she had never noticed before. So the diamond was her theme that day as well.

                  Blue Diamonds    B.H.M.

                   This morning

                   sun is shining on

                   the blue diamonds

                   as I walk in to the room

                  The blue diamonds

                  are so dark and dense

                  The light could barely 

                  shine through them     

                  Rubbing them with my fingers

                  dusting off the old dust and prints that had marked them

                  The blue diamonds

                  were  given to me by my parents

                   Polishing the diamonds

                   balancing the blues

                   Matching & connecting the diamonds

                   working out the blues

                  Letting and permitting the rays of sunlight

                  passing through the diamonds

                  Seeing & singing

                  the blues with delight

Week 14

Mimi: detail

 Mimi:    Simple Still

I had vellum paper with blue graph on it.  I started sewing on it with red thread making spots.  I was thinking about the blue of the lines and I remembered the blue piece Bibi and her daughter did for a show I curated a few years ago.   I thought about my sister’s family and their old, old dog.  The rhythm of the stitching felt right.

Bibi:    Spirit

On Wednesday, Woniya passed away. I didn’t want to focus on her today.

I found some white batting material that had some sweater pills stuck to it. The pattern that was created reminded me of an eagle. The eagle is significant because after Woniya passed away, I saw an eagle in the sky and felt that the eagle was transporting her spirit.

Bibi: detail

In another drawer, I found a blue ceramic face that my friend Tanya had give to me. The expression on it was exactly how I felt the day I saw the eagle. I stuck my hand in another drawer and pulled out a baby moccasin. It fit together both visually and symbolically, as Woniya was a Native American dog and I had considered her to be my “baby.”

The ribbon on the back of the face also worked. I tied it into a bow. It made me think of a present. The present. That life is a gift and that the time we share with others is precious. Also, Woni liked Tanya. I believe that Woniya considered Tanya to be part of her “pack.”

This was a very personal piece. I told Mimi about my encounter with the eagle when Woni died. Mimi wanted permission to share the story with her sister who was struggling with letting go and dealing with her own dog’s death.

Mimi did a piece using blue graph paper and red dots. In my piece, I made a blue balloon that has red dots on it.

 

Mimi: Simple Still - Thread on graphed vellum.  Bibi: Spirit - Found objects.

                            

                            Spirit   B.H.M.

                            Woniya Shunka

                            a spirit dog

                            tames us

                            in a ten years time

                            Woniya Shunka

                            a spirit dog

                            left us

                            wi

                           the anguish, beauty, and majesty

                           in one breath

                           Woniya Shunka

                           a spirit dog

                           rejoin the Great Spirit

                           with broad wings of Eagles

                           Woniya Shunka

                           take a soaring flight

                           in us and all

                           a spirit dog

Week 13

Mimi: Lovely Bumps - Pencil on paper.  Bibi: A Seed - Drawing on bone, found objects.

Mimi: detail

Mimi:    Lovely Bumps

Drawings, hillocks,

hills, bumps.   Forgiveness

lovely bumps, far and away.

Bibi:    A Seed

We had to change the day from Friday to Monday again. I feel that we always go to a different level when we change the day.

I was in a good frame of mind that morning and I was happy that I was going to do this today. I missed doing this project with Mimi.

Bibi: detail

It was a rough weekend for me emotionally. I had to temporarily relocate my studio as the space needs renovations. I had to take everything out and put it into a storage “Pod” outside. Frank was talking about possibly retiring in Belize and I thought, “I may not live that long.” I was overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I have and thought, “What will happen to all this stuff when I die?” Perhaps it was a mid-life crisis moment, thinking that I don’t have much time left and that I have to get things in order before I go…

That morning, I had an urge to draw a beanstalk. I found a wooden spoon that was given to me by my friend Amy, who often gives me advice that I feel balances me. I doodled a peapod on it, but was conscious of the wood pattern and wanted to work along with it instead of competing against that beautiful pattern.

I realized that the “pea pod” was a connection to the Pod all my stuff was in, and I was happy to use some of the things that I have been collecting for years. I save things because I believe that I can potentially use them for my art.

I realized that I can’t change who I am. I need to just “go with it.” Sometimes, I feel that I am my worst enemy. I sometimes wonder if my urge to create is a gift or a curse.

I am very happy with this piece and it made me realize that I have to “let the seed grow” and be who I am.”                

                                 

                                   

                                   

                                 

                                  A Seed  B.H.M.

                                   a Seed

                                    growing

                                    bean stalk

                                    growing bean

                                    growing pain

                                    fruit of a plant

                                    Pea

                                    Peas in a Pod

                                    Pod

                                    daily artistic contents

                                    life cycle of one single cell

                                    seeds of a pod

                        planted to do art

                                    create a poem

                                    creator

                        an Artist

Week 12

Mimi: Simple is Good - Thread on vellum. Bibi: How - Watch, fabric swatch, braid.

Mimi:    Simple is Good

What am I going to do today?   Something simple. Simple is good. Yellow swirl, zig zag stitches, like a braid.

Bibi:    How

This was our twelfth session and we knew that we would be meeting and sharing our work with each other after this. We no long question our process now. We know to go by our feelings.

For this piece, I picked up the swatches of cloth and a watch. I was planning on reviving this watch to wear when I go to China. However, it looks good with this piece, and the piano on it represents me, so it fit.

I was thinking about philosophy and questioning my existence and the existence of humans in general. The word “how” is the beginning of a question… “How do I do? Fine fine fine.” The three wires, braided as I braid my hair, represent the 3 golden rules I follow: love, respect and honor myself and others.

Mimi called and asked, “How did you do?” She did a minimalistic piece as well. She sewed a zigzag curve on paper using yellow/gold thread.

Things that seem simple can have deeper more complex meanings if you want to read into them.                                                                   

                                                   How   B.H.M.

How

How

How

Do

I

Do

Fine

Fine

Fine

Week 11

Mimi Thinking of Bibi - Thread, string on vellum.  Bibi  Self - Found objects, drawing.

Mimi Thinking of Bibi, detail

Mimi: Thinking of Bibi 
I started working and was thinking of Bibi.  I don’t usually do this as I work and said to myself – no, I should try to tune into the ‘source’, but she stayed on my mind.   I played and sewed and the piece turned into a map of sorts.  It didn’t really feel like me, maybe it was about Bibi?

Bibi  Self,detail

Bibi:    Self

I had a stack of stuff as supplies for this project and had no idea what I would use today. I had a beret of mine that was chewed and decided to do a self portrait.  I did a pencil drawing of my face which I hadn’t done before.  It doesn’t necessarily look like me, but I realized –it is what it is, and I wouldn’t redo it or throw it away. It is here and is honest, a self examination, self growth, self realization.

When I spoke to Mimi, she said –For some reason, I keep thinking of you.  She said she didn’t feel much attachment to it. Maybe it is about me.

                                                    

                                               Self    B. H. M.

                                               Self - I

                                               Self - intention

                                               Self - examination

                                               Self - knowledge

                                               Self - confidence

                                               Self - portrait

                                               Self - discovery

                                               Self - respect

                                               Self - support

                                               Self - will

                                               Self - concern

                                               Self - heal

                                               Self - love