Patti Edmon Artist

Though the frequency of my blog posts suggests otherwise, I've been working in the studio nearly every day for an hour, or three on a good day. I've been painting... faces. Still. I seem to have come up with a 'face' but I don't think I've really broken through the surface. It is truly difficult to really let go, be counterintuitive, dig beneath the rubble of what is and is not good and/or acceptable. But I'm not going to stop.  I don't know about you, but every so often I see an artist's work and a voice screams up from the depths - I want to paint like that. Of course, copying, imitating never works but it does give me hope. Reason to keep going, to be relentless and never, ever give up. Maybe this process is like evolution... never really fast enough but silent wheels turning. My studio is adorned by at least 50 face paintings, started after the Misty Mawn workshop late last September, and many influenced by ...

Not quite certain why I tend to stick more irons in the fire than there are flames, particularly in the spring when my arthritis is most ill-behaved. The past month has had more flare days than good ones, though I try to find ways to create even if I can't work in the studio. I've spent studio days finishing the greeting-card book I'm making for my lovely daughter - in her favorite colors. I honestly cannot believe how fun it is and how much I enjoy the continuous problem solving that arises during any 'first-time' project.  I've made progress on the cover (wow, talk about problem solving!) and all the spreads are ready to bind.    Each spread has one side for attaching notes or photos and I've branched out quite a bit, making pockets, flaps, mini-books and using wire (and fibers) in ways I haven't tried before. A great creative stretching exercise for sure! That's one of the many aspects of workshop...