unlikely friends: thread and watercolor

I love to sew and haven't had much time since the beginning of the year - my creativity spent on a daily postcard. Only this week have I had extra time on hand which I spent creating these gift items from recycled and felted wool:  Framed pictures of cute mice, sweet finger puppets and a pillow for the toothfairy.  I find the process of hand stitching utterly calming and satisfying.  These creatures were inspired by a gifted crafter up in Port Townsend, Kata Golda, who makes everything from wool and wrote beautiful DIY books about her craft.  If you want to look up Kata Golda, here is her website http://www.katagolda.com/

These postcards below have been created by thread, a sewing machine and water color. I first sewed the line across the paper - leaving an interesting pattern also on the back of the card. Then I embellished the emptiness of the white card with watercolor.  I love the multi-media feel of these cards.

288/365, sent to Burlington, VT

289/365, sent to Giessen, Germany

290/365, sent to Washington, DC

291/365, sent to New Rochelle, NY

292/365, sent to Berlin, Germany

spidey rescues the toothfairy

Can Spiderman step in as tooth fairy? Sure he can. Last week, when my youngest lost a tooth, I was busy and assigned my husband with the honorable task of designing a picture of the tooth fairy. That week, my son had just been reading his first book on his very own entitled Spiderman against Sandman. So here Spidey came to the rescue when the tooth fairy was held back by Sandman and had begged Spidey to deliver the goods and rescue the tooth. Well done - Spidey!

283/365, hand-delivered by the tooth fairy (guest artist Stuart L.)



284/365, sent to Bellevue



285/365, sent to Seattle
This image was inspired by my daughter's in depth study of the Holocaust.  Her class is part of an online experiment where kids take on the identity of a historic figure in order to discuss a current political dilemma. The organization who orchastrates it is centropa.org.  My postcard depicts Lilli Tauber, a holocaust survivor, whose identity Ana is studying and whose story can be viewed on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHHu-BI4l3w

286/365, sent to Seattle

287/365, sent to Seattle

table patterns

These cards are inspired by creativity teacher Carla Sonheim who finds sidewalk cracks a great starting point to drawing from imagination. In her new book, Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals, which she introduced last night at a local bookstore, she explains many out of the box ways to approach artistic expression.

Instead of sidewalk cracks, I used the patterns on the table at which I sat during a 4-day seminar on how to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children. Doodling was a helpful pastime while I learned about so many difficult and important subject matters pertaining children's safety in families. Once again I found it soothing to draw and not at all distracting to what I was listening to.

278/365, sent to Los Angeles, CA

279/365, hand-delivered in Seattle

280/365, sent to Seattle, WA

281/365, sent to Seattle, WA

282/365, sent to Seattle, WA

monoprints

Just recently a friend of mine asked me how I control what happens to the cards once I send them out.  It got me thinking and I realized that I do not have any control over their whereabouts once the card gets taken away by my postal carrier.   Isn't this a great metaphor for child rearing?  As with my postcards, I do my best to take good care of my kids, teach them our values, instill life long skills and try to shape them so that they can function well in society.  When they are ready for more independence, I loose some of my influence and I can only hope that they make good decisions based on what they have learned in their early years of childhood.  The same with my cards, I design them, prepare them, write the address on them and add a stamp and then it is up to the world to determine what the outcome may be.  Hopefully most of them make it to their destinations! 

273/365, sent to Kirkland, WA 

274/365, sent to Seattle

275/365, sent to Seattle

276/365, sent to Potsdam, Germany

277/365, sent to Seattle

childish inspirations

These postcards were inspired by pictures created by my 6 year old son. As you can tell, he has been into rockets and submarines lately.  Over the past weeks I have collected various drawings of his and have now incorporated them into these collages. It was a happy coincidence that we celebrated two kid's birthdays this week in our extended family so that these whimsical cards were appropriate. I still admire a child's fantasy which is less inhibited than my own. Taking a child's image as a vantage point I can allow myself to dream a little as well - thinking back to when I was a kid and created numerous pictures of princesses with long hair.

269/365, hand-delivered in Seattle

270/365, sent to Jever, Germany

271/365, sent to Bellevue, WA



271/365, sent to St. Paul, Minnesota

272/365, sent to Los Angeles

Jewish papercuts

I have always been amazed by the art of papercuts - its delicacy and precision.  The medium of papercuts has been particularly widespread in the realm of Eastern European Judaica.  While it can be challenging to maneuver the blade over the paper, it is also satisfying to work with an entirely different tool - not just pens and pencils.

For the first time since the beginning of my project, I have been playing catch up with my postcards.  A family visit, the observance of Jewish holidays and just the business of life have kept me away from my daily practice of preparing a card a day.  I have had to produce a few cards in bulk and I notice how I don't like the feel of it.  It is at these moments that I realize most how I personally benefit from the discipline of daily creative expression.  I hope to get back into my rhythm soon.

 

264/365, sent to Bellevue, WA

265/365, walked to Seattle, WA

266/365, sent to Bellevue, WA

267/365, sent to Seattle, WA

268/365, sent to Chestnut Ridge, NJ