Not Shutting Up About Channel Setting.
Art happened these past few weeks. I’ve got a chunk of pictures, but first, an important message:
Help this family eat!
I’m also not shutting up about Gaza.
Help feed this family here:
https://chuffed.org/project/138094-help-provide-necessities-for-yazan-and-his-family
This is a fundraiser for Yazan Omar, which a friend of mine set up. Yazan and his family are facing horrific conditions: starvation, siege, bombing. If you have a chance, please donate and share.
Personal fundraisers are a band-aid in this situation, and while it is good and lifesaving to help individual families financially, there is significant aid that has to be allowed to reach Gaza. If you’re reading this, call anyone you can think of and apply pressure to stop this madness.
Now the Art…
Despite the horrors, I was able to get back to wire this week and start this thing. If you’re one of the people who was around when I wouldn’t shut up about channel setting grape agate a few months ago, this is what I was talking about. I think there’s more potential with the technique.
I spent a lot of time this past week making coils, and I snatched a few hours one morning to figure this out. It took a while, but I feel very ready to play these next few weeks. I have a show this fall (more on that later, it’s not a ren fair!), and I need to build some showpieces.
I also spent some time visiting family the other week, and I brought my crochet with me so that I could work on something. I like the repetetive nature of crochet after so much painting, which requires a decision every stroke.
This is the “Lost Souls Shawl.” There is an easy to follow video I used to make it:
https://youtu.be/_2QMLfMBJY0
I’ve wanted to crochet lacy skull things for so long. Good costuming and warmth for autumn. I’m always into using natural fibers when I can, so this is wool.
Did I mention I finished the hamster paintings? This is Ms. Houdini…
…and this one is Louise. These were hamsters my friend cared for while they performed in a show at fair.
My main technical achievement with these was mixing all those earth tones from primaries. I got to a point with these where I was able to put some thought into shadow color.
I have to switch over to wire and focus hard for the next few months, but I do need representational art in my life, and I want to plan a painting month before the year is out so I can truly stretch my skills.
Things have been pretty bleak in the news, but diving in and making sure I try and help at least a bit each day is helping to keep myself afloat. Finding that I have the capacity to care for others has helped me to feel more a part of the world and saner than ever.
Call your representatives and demand food be allowed to enter Gaza. Donate and share the fundraiser I posted at the beginning. Protect your neighbors. If you see a friend hurting, help them. We’re all in this together! We’re not beaten as long as we’re alive.