Creativity

Webster defines creativity as "the ability to  make new things or think of new ideas".  Perhaps I fit into the category of making new things (for me) rather than thinking of new ideas.  As with most of us who quilt, stitch, knit, punch or hook, we have each probably had more than one hobby/craft/art in our lives. 

I've done all those and more, to include small scale hand weaving, photography, drawing and oil painting.  Oh, and basket weaving (still have those dang supplies too).

This morning over coffee I read Tammy's BLOG with interest and could relate to her childhood experiences with drawing and art.  And as an adult I was my own worse critic and perhaps related back to my youth.  Somewhere I still have my sketch pad, it's here somewhere.  The only pencil sketch that I knew the location of was in the guest bedroom and is of my then 1 year old son.  You can see my perspective is off, he has more of an adult nose in the drawing; and never could do lips or  eyes right.  But it was the act of trying to capture a likeness of my adorable son. 

 

And then I started an oil painting of him and never finished it.  It sits on a shelf in my wool room and my 46 year old son has asked when I will finish it.  Told him that to me it was finished as I don't have a desire to go back to oil painting.

Here is a painting which was done for my first husband Gary (departed in 1981).  He loved it and I had a sense of pride, perhaps because of his praise and approval. 

Below is an oil I did with boats in snow with community across the water.  It just seemed to scream for a natural primitive style frame.  These two paintings are stacked in my storage room. 

 This one below I still love and called him Old Salt.  It is hanging on the wall in my wool room.

And then one day got a hankering to make a companion piece to Old Salt, his wife.  So started the one below which also never got finished.  Among lots of things needing to be corrected in her painting, the straw that broke my back was the fingernails.  So it hangs in my wool room but also isn't done. 

 In my attic are still life paintings I did and at one time hung them in the kitchen of various houses we lived in during our travels.  It has been a long time since they were hung yet I have moved them when I  moved.  They have never hung in this house and I've been here since 1997.

 This large still life used to hang in the kitchen as well but not for years as with the other still life.

There were more oil paintings that I did and gave away to friends or family, my son has a huge eagle I painted which he adores.  Don't have a picture of that one but next time I'm at their house should probably take one just to have a record of.

So Tammy, kudos to you for exercising the brain and hand and charging up that creative spirit. 

Speaking more of creativity...... I'm done with the commission so now have the task this afternoon to bind a rug.  THEN..... there are two hooked designs that are swirling around in my cranium.   Hopefully I can get the head and hand to communicate with one another and put my thoughts on paper as I want to hook something fun for me.

Have a great day and evening.

Saundra