personal stories

We have talked before about how personal my work is. I seem to just feel the need to tell stories about myself with my work. Often times people will ask me if I sell my work and I say no--that most of my work is too personal for me to sell--or for anyone to want to buy. And then there are the big discussions with my cousins about what will happen to all of the stuff when I die. My daughters don't really want all of it-will it just go to the dumpster? Do I care?


This is a detail shot from a quilt that I had recently finished and submitted to a show. I got the rejection letter today.

 It is a work about my parents. The writing is from a love letter that my father sent to my mother when he was in Europe during the war. It is on one of my mothers slips. The shiny part is her glove.


Obviously, its a very personal story for me.


So I am still reading--randomly picking pages from Nick Bantock's book, The Trickster's Hat. I showed it to my Fabrigos friend last time we were together.


Well--on page 82 of the book Mr. Bantock suggest going through my house with a shoebox and filling it with a collection of things that have a lot of meaning for me. Then he says to put the shoebox away and not to use it in my work--that it's too personal and my work will not reach the people that I want to reach. They are too precious and hold too much power for me. It will only inhibit me with trying to do art. That its only me who feels it.


Instead, he says to go to my local haunts and find or buy a few (5 or 6) things that interest me. Put these things on a sheet of white paper, arrange them in a pleasing manner, take some photos of them , analyse what I like about them. Find the connections that are there and use this connection in my work. Is it the colours, the shapes --find what it is and use that.




WOW WOW WOW
Mr. Nick Bantock knows who I am.


By the way, Mr. Bantock, there is way too much stuff in my house to fit into a shoebox. My house is the shoebox.  hmmmm Maybe that means something, too.
Oh that's enough thinking for one day. I'll think about it tomorrow!
karenwhofeelslikeshehasfoundanewbestfriendnick