art – Page 49 – Joni Beach

June 21, 2011June 27, 2011

Watermelon and Sweet Iced Tea…

This past weekend we traveled home to North Carolina. I love going in the summer for many reasons but among them are the fresh garden vegetables and fruit. We visited a produce garden selling in-season fruits and vegetables.

After shopping in boutiques and eating lunch in town and driving past my childhood home, we ended our day out. The rest of the evening was spent with family…and supper included chilled watermelon and sweet iced tea. (Since it had topped 99° F on Saturday, nothing was better!). A quick wind and thunderstorm ended the fishing in the pond. But, all in all it was a great day.

This produce is ripe much earlier than where we live in the mountains. Not only did the farm we visit have patty-pan squash, zucchini, green beans, early cling peaches, they still had strawberries we could pick! Mom added the homemade blackberry jam (with seeds!). Yum!

On the way home we stopped at the Seagroves pottery community. First stop was at the Phil Morgan’s Pottery. Phil is well-known for his crystalline glaze process.

I bought a new coffee mug…and we enjoyed talking with the artist in his gallery. One day I would like to own one of his crystalline glazed pots…the yellow ones are so unusual in color and very delicate looking. They remind me of Japanese design.

Viewing the artistic creations of potters always inspires me. To learn of their stories, methods, and to get to visit their studios and galleries provides an artistic perspective from a medium different from my own. It gives me new ideas on color and the design process.

And, on an extremely hot and humid summer’s day… there is nothing like watermelon and sweet iced tea!

Iced Tea Image Credit: Via Wikipedia Additional Links: *NC Pottery Center (www.ncpotterycenter.com)

*Phil Morgan Pottery(www.philmorganpottery.org)

*Discover Seagroves (Seagrove Area Potter’s Association)

June 16, 2011June 22, 2011

Thursday In the Studio—“Slowly but Surely”

My progress in the studio this week is going “slowly but surely”…There were some other obligations that had to be taken care of in the past few days and my studio work was on hold. The top of the wall hanging, Above Dark Clouds, has been pieced. Today I am finishing the appliqué, adding a backing, and then will use quilt lines to add visual texture and dimension to the piece.

The inspiration for this piece came years ago when I was flying cross-country to a health center with a family member. I would marvel at the sunshine and brilliant, clear, cobalt blue sky at 40, 000 feet, above the gray clouds, rain, and turbulence—it became a reminder for me. Looking down, away from the everyday challenges like work, life, and traffic—it all seemed so much smaller than when I was on the ground. In life there are times of stormy weather—with dark clouds. Sometimes it is difficult for me to remember that no matter what, there is always sunshine and a brilliant bright blue sky above it all…To finish this 12” art quilt a sleeve and label will be added.

New work is being begun on another 12” wall hanging–it is only in the idea stage.

After creating a couple of pieces, I need to decide which art quilt to donate to the SAQA Benefit Auction..., and since time is running very close to the deadline, it must be mailed very soon!

Among other works in progress is the Lifeweaving #3 piece–the silver strips that represent the late adult life stage (ages 60-mid 80s) are being woven.

The next step is to baste the weaving together and layer the top, batting, and a backing.

Then, there is Transitions #2: Blue Moods waiting to be quilted…

I once heard someone say that creative people usually have more than one project they work on at a time, so maybe all of these unfinished pieces are not a bad thing! But, I guess it is time to put away the camera, turn off the computer, and get busy in the studio… where progress is going “slowly but surely”!

*Do you ever seem to procrastinate, finding anything to do other than begin working? Do you think this serves some purpose!?

Time – Linear or Circular? (jonibeach.com)
Motivation! (jonibeach.com)

June 14, 2011June 17, 2011

Observing the World…From a Log Bench

Viewing on-line photo tours of other people’s travels provides me with an amazing suitcase-free, passport-free, ticket-free way to see the world. The traveler’s blog usually includes views of local artisans making their sculptures, fabrics, paintings, or other such craft from local materials, such as in the blog bigBang studio—Hindustan textiles, food and painting, or in Blogchucuto–Spanish mosaic tiles. Most feature the use of organic materials + the artist’s ingenuity to make a log into a sculpture, clay into a vase, or fabric into a garment. They give a glimpse of the wide variety and unique design aesthetics and motifs from cultures @ the globe.

I am still surprised by my enjoyment of items made from organic materials found close at hand. For example, my husband made me a meditation bench for along our driveway using a split log. It is not merely a natural piece of art that I appreciate, but after getting the mail I can also stop, sit, and read, pausing to take-in the woods @ me–the ferns in the shade along the stream and the sounds of nature. When walking by in a hurry, I do not always pause, observe, and listen. Walking for many years in the town where we lived, I came to know specific trees, certain flowers and plants in gardens and yards, places different groundhogs had homes, and unique views of the mountains. While riding along in a car, that is not always possible. As you walk, you are more a part of the environment vs. speeding past and through it.

So I guess today I am rambling a bit…but I’d say this article is about how people all over the world use their ingenuity (and creativity) to make works of art by using the natural materials @ them. Plus, while travelling, one can observe and take notice of the worlds @ them to gain inspiration and renewal…

Just like a trip up the driveway for the mail and back…