Poet/Artist Update

Hi, Sharon here.

In-scents or Out-scents

20" x 30"

©2012 - Sharon V. Rotz

This past weekend, I attended the Poet/Artist Collaboration reception at the Crossings Gallery in Zumbrota, MN. This was a wonderful chance to the poets who inspired our artwork. During the evening, the poets read their work as the artist's interpretation was projected on the screen. We all enjoyed the comments and thoughts that went into each work.

I had the opportunity to meet Karen Anway, "my" poet who inspired In-scents or Out-scents.  Was it because of our collaboration? Do we share a bit of our soul as we create? We became instant friends the moment that we introduced ourselves.

Karen's prize-winning poem follows:  

Incense and Nonsense

When I Read

Spirit has its own aroma

I thought,

an appealing kind of nonsense

and started smelling

things.

For instance, did you know the scent of rotting stems in slimy-water flower vases is the same one inside your mouth when you forget to floss all week, and the smell of that dumpster in Kansas made me homesick for the ocean just like fresh garlic makes me think of sex?

In certain ancient cultures people burned incense because they thought the fragrance

rose

to

The Nostrils of God

When we burned that good luck incense Joan sent from Hong Kong,

and had to leave the house to breathe,

we wished we’d burned that stuff outside

and could have easily heard from the police,

                                                              or even God.

Jayne smelled her father in her car after he had died. She said she knew he’d been there even though that was impossible. My father’s car smells like him, but it wasn’t until after he died that I noticed. When I buried my face in my mother’s pajamas after she died, I could still smell her there for almost a year, but like every precious perfume, eventually that sweet bouquet my mother left behind for me, disappeared, and I was left holding cloth.

Well meaning friends tell me, Your parents still love you―remain with you even though they died.

I yawn,

Nonsense, I say, and snort

a breathing woman

smelling everything.

Written by Karen Anway, used with permission of the author.

Inspired by a Poem

In-scents or Out-scents

20" x 30"

©2012 - Sharon V. Rotz

Where do you get the inspiration for your artwork?

Hi, Sharon here. This year I wanted to explore new opportunities and was juried into the Poet Artist Collaboration at the Crossings at Carnegie Gallery in Zumbrota, MN.  As an artist, I was challenged to interpret the writings of one of the poets selected. Incense and Nonsense was the title of my chosen poem. This led me to ponder how to visually show something as abstract as smell. The decay of flowers, the smell associated with a loved one, and the over-powering smell of incense found their way into this piece.

You can view the work of 26 artists and poets at the show. See how each artist collaborated to create a vision for original poetry.

Hi All, happy long weekend!

I realize I  haven't been around for quite awhile (well, I have been, but not posting). I decided that I didn't want to post here until I had something "worthwhile" to share, and I realized, I probably won't have anything 'worthwhile" to share for years. lol

So here's what I've been working on lately, in "most recent to longest ago" order.  (Well, not since I was here last, but for the last six months.)

This one's called "Ontology Of a Rabbit" - and was for a challenge set by my real time art quilt group. We were each given a bag of bits and bobs and had to create something using stuff in the bag, plus our own things, making sure to use something we've never used before.  This piece has rust dyed fabric and a polyester snow dye from the challenge bag as well as my own fabrics in it (suede, silk, satin), as well as Japanese paper, lutradur and beads (always my Waterloo!) which fulfill the "use something you haven't used before" portion of the challenge.

Process posts and the thinking behind this piece HERE.

I have also been experimenting with disperse dyes (sometimes known as transfer paint and/or transperse paint) I love the glow of fabrics that have been made using disperse dye, and I made two pieces inspired by the "Song of Swords" books.  This one is called "Catelyn At The Riverside".  And you can read more about it HERE if you so desire.

 This piece is called "Winter Is Coming" and also used disperse dye techniques.  Process posts are HERE.

 I am also part of another group blog where we explore surface design. In January, our guest artist was Rayna Gilman. This wall hanging called "Shattered Sky" was the result of that experimentation. It's mostly commercial cottons with a bit of satin and wool thrown in, and is 48 x 40".  Process posts are HERE.

This was the first of my disperse dye experiments, called "Fern" (predictably enough). It also incorporates some fugitive media elements (pastel crayons, gold leaf pen and water colour dye crayons); as well as some light beading.  It's 12 x 10 and if you want to, you can read more about it HERE.

And last (for this post); is my piece called "Erosion".  The background was painted with acrylic paints and then enhanced with charcoal and pastels. It's done on silk twill and is 30 x 9".  A bit about it HERE.

So that's it - me for the last six months (it doesn't seem very much!).  Lately, I have been moving more towards the oldest piece in terms of the direction I'm taking - painted backgrounds with quilted elements on top of it - in fact, the recent passing of my mother has inspired a whole series using this technique which well explore our relationship.

Concurrently, I will continue to explore surface design techniques in my group blog as well as complete challenge pieces for my real time art quilt group  - so I am working on a discharged piece right now - in addition, I want to finish up some things I began work on last year, refining this "painted and then quilted" direction I'm heading.

So, that's me sorted.  :)

Thanks for sharing all you've been up to.