Saturday, January 16, 2010

Flying Girl Blessings, or I am as open as the night sky

Flying Girl Blessings, or I am as open as the night sky
felt, polyfill, thread, silver embroidery floss, recycled bead, paper and golden fluid acrylic
about 6" from top of head to bottom of banner? I forgot to measure. Hanging thread adds another six inches.

Yesterday while browsing about the web, I got the burning urge to make a 3-D flying girl. Something that could exist in our very own world, not just the world on the page.

Sometimes I get tired of just painting. I've never really been a one medium kind of gal, but I've spent the last couple of years mainly diving into paint. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but sometimes I start to feel a little bit confined doing just one thing.

All growing up, I made stuff out of everything. Doll dresses. A little stuffed shmoo that I made with my sister. Crocheted slippers. Little plasticene figurines. Balloon farms. Paper dolls. Bracelets out of purloined telephone wire. Radio shows on tape. Horror stories to read to my Junior High School friends. Macrame friendship bracelets. Beaded necklaces. Lipgloss out of vaseline. Cut paper animals. Twig houses. Sculpee christmas ornaments, beads, dragons and wizards, dice, brooches. And this was all before I ever took being an artist really seriously. It was just something I did because I enjoyed it and it kept my hands busy.

Over the past year or two, I've been watching other artists explore the breadth of creativity, while I was trying to focus down on one or two media. I suppose it makes sense. I needed to explore one medium, rather than bounce around like a jumping bean.

But yesterday, after seeing other people do stuff that I just thought was cool, it was like I bust out and HAD to do something.

I don't have as many odds and ends as I used to. They are either in storage or have been purged. No silver beads or glass mosaic tiles. No sculpee or fabric stashes. No folders of magazine clippings or that package of copper leaf I've been hoarding.

So I went with my leftover supplies from making Christmas softies for my kids.
Flying Girl Blessings, or I am as open as the night sky (back view)
(here you can see the hanging cord and bead)

This ornament is the result of my fevered multi-media jones.

She is actually the second version. The first version was in black cotton and I found her too delicate to turn and stuff. I nearly tore my hair out trying to manage. I still might be able to salvage something of her, but these are both prototypes.

I am not pleased with the materials. Polyester felt is not my medium of choice, but it was what I had on hand. And good for learning.

I do, however like something in the idea, here. I am planning to make more of her. I am thinking I might like to sell these in my etsy shop. I particularly feel like these pieces, more so than a 2-D work of art are about making something real in the world (HA! There's my focus word for the year-- "realize"). To me, this flying girl seems like a wish made real. An idea to focus down on.

That's why I called her a blessing. In my mind, I think this piece is a concrete manifestation of someone wanting to be open to love. You cannot find love if you do not open yourself to it... open yourself to the possibility of love, the possiblity of being hurt, of depending upon someone, or being there for someone else.

I suppose I was thinking about Valentines Day. You know, love and kisses and pink candy. I've never been very good at pink and candy. Well, candy yes, pink hearts and flowers not so much.

Ironically, I have already been commissioned to create another flying girl doll made of pink, for my almost three year old. She wanted this one, actually. I said I'd make her one of ther own. She chose pink.

I suppose I will need to come to peace with my own pink cottoncandy heart and give my daughter her own Flying Girl blessings.

10 comments:

Marta said...

Your ability to work in different mediums is fantastic. So often it seems that people feel they should stick to one thing and question those who explore other paths. Anyway, like your 3D flying girl.

And how is the novel coming? Had to ask.

Amanda Fall - Sprout editor said...

Oh, Rowena, I love this! When I first saw the picture I thought, "She HAS to sell these!"--so I was glad to discover you'd already thought of it. I think these 3D girls could really touch many people..there is something so comforting and "real" about her. Of course the paintings are wonderful, but there is definitely something special about this idea too. Stick with it!

Jessie said...

ooooh! oooh! oooooh! i want one! :) i love the words, the stitched stars, the heart, the wide open arms...the everything!

this is beautiful, rowena. thank you for inspiring me to play (i feel the need to play with my art these days!). :) and i agree with Amanda, you should sell them on etsy! well, only if you feel like it, that is. *wink, wink*

Jessie said...

ps.
that's it!

i'm going out to my studio right now.

to play.

i have a stack of papers that have been inviting me to do some journal making.

omg....do you realize how liberated i feel right now?! ha! i love you!

:)

Leah said...

adore this SO much!! You inspire me, girl!

Rowena said...

you guys are awesome. thanks for the encouragement. I really am kind of an awkward seamstress, my grandma taught me when I was 7 or so, and I never really did much sewing after that, so I doubt myself.

But I actually kind of like the rough look to it. Frayed edges and exposed stitches.

Now my son wants a Flying Boy with the word brave (actually he asked for a whole world of superheroes and buildings and a town that can blow up, too) and my mother in law wants one for her desk at work where she works with special ed kids.

I guess this is a sign to keep going.

Oh, and Marta, I'm doing my first revision on my novel, half way through on p 122, but didn't get to work today.

khairun said...

Would just like to say what pretty much everybody else have said here- it looks lovely!

EVA said...

She is so lovely! And has the kind of charming appeal that imho would make her very easy to sell. A spontaneous buy for oneself or as a gift.
You can change the word and the colours to suit! "Brave" - I like that! Your son already has great word ideas to share!

Genie Sea said...

What a fantastic evolution of the Flying Girl! The possibilities are endless what you can do with them. Flying Girls rule the world :) Imagine, Flying Girl wind chimes or mobiles :)

dandelionlady said...

I just stumbled onto your blog and I wanted to say that I really love your flying women. They speak to me of freedom and dreams and strength. It was just what I needed to see today. Thanks!

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