Waxing & Waning

I just finished cutting this linoleum block which I intend to use to stamp on fabric. I did try it out with ink, hence the turquoise color. The design is from a macro photo I took of one of my recent woven shiboris, which I then transferred -- albeit roughly -- onto the lino block. I really enjoyed cutting it. When I first started college and was an art major, I totally loved my printmaking class. So it was fun to do this again after all these years. I only wish, now, that I hadn't let go of my brayer and baren -- printmaking tools for the uninitiated. How many times have I gotten rid of stuff over the years, thinking I'd never use it again, only to need it not long after I finally got rid of it! I guess that's kind of a dumb question, unless one never moves and never lets go of anything for their entire life. Not I!

Anyhow, I feel like I've hardly been doing any art lately! I was out of town last weekend, and it always seems to take far longer to reclaim my daily routine after being away, than the number of days I was away for. A two day trip might require upwards of a week to get back into the groove. Yikes!

I haven't woven since late last week...but I've got less than two rows to complete on the afghan and I'm hoping to finish that up tonight! Today I put in final hours on a part-time job I've had for the last four months, that had become fairly intense over the past ten days or so -- so a lot of my energy has gone to that recently. Guess I'm feeling like I need to make excuses for why I haven't done much art lately, at least to myself.

The bigger issue is that I can so easily fall out of inspiration for my artistic vision. I suppose the vision just moves off to the side as I focus on something else temporarily. Tomorrow is a new day, I have most of the rest of the week to get back on track, and next week is wide open. Once I get back into my artistic groove, I'm rolling. Wednesday evening my monthly Art Salon is meeting, and I hope to use my time at bat to refocus on art and creativity. I'm likely in better shape than it feels like I am, right now.