conquering fear

i have a new practice i have put into place during my walks... imagining things/people i fear as the pebbles at my feet... rather than feeling the fear press down upon me... or close in on me from all sides... i imagine it beneath me... something i can view from a different, more manageable perspective... it allows for the light to shine while i think upon how i choose to handle each one... 

'you have brains in your head.

you have feet in your shoes.

you can steer yourself any direction you choose.

you're on your own.

and you know what you know.

you are the guy who'll decide where to go.'

~ dr. seuss oh, the places you'll go

these things are fun and fun is good - and so is making the deadline

erin at treasures found chose dr. seuss for her march challenge... in my last post i discussed my planning stages a bit... and as the project grew in complexity, it also grew more daunting... i get nervous and excited... and nervous... until finally last friday i just had to start... where? at the beginning... how did i pick? resin has the longest prep and set up for me, it also would create the whole structure of the story... so i started there... 

and i ended here tonight - you can ask my kids how much they have seen me since then... ok, they have seen me, i am home... but my daughter let me know my hair looked like it could be washed... thanks em!! and they heaved a collective sigh of relief when the hammer was put down... i flattened and textured practically ever piece of wire i used... 

one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish... books by dr. seuss have been some of my children's and my favorites... and this book in particular could at one time be recited by me in the car or on walks from memory... one of the things i love so much about theodor geisel is how he makes so much happen with self-imposed limitations... a set number of words used to create wonder-filled, memorable rhyme... a limited palette of 7 colors - white, black, 2 shades of yellow, 2 shades of aqua/teal, red, pink & green (which appears only on the cover) - used to create images carried in our minds for a lifetime... line drawing with so much movement and whimsy... 

the challenge for me was to create this style of necklace (inspired by the incredibly talented susan lenart kazmer) and honor his sensibility simultaneously... 

i ordered a used book off of ebay so that i knew that the pages would have been touched - turned over and over again... and wouldn't you know the little boy wrote his name in it? and his name is alex? 

i love the sound it makes... and for having at least 2 dangles per loop, it is pretty lightweight as well due to the use of resin... i did use 3 metals - sterling, annealed steel wire and nickel... the fabulously patinated star in the focal comes from shannon at missficklemedia and the colorful ceramic beads from keith o'connor... the fiber links not only tie in the main teal color to that piece on the focal, but also made me think of the worn corners on a well-read hardcover book... 

left side

right side

chain

i wonder what april will bring?!

giddy

'i am giddy. expectation whirls me round.

the imaginary relish is so sweet

that it enchants my sense.'

~ william shakespeare

if you read this blog AT ALL, you know that giddy is not a feeling i often experience... i am more low key than this... in fact, this feeling has me a bit nervous... my chest is pounding and my hands are shaky... i cannot remember which experiment it was, but i have felt this one other time (have to think on this)... 

erin at treasures found is having another challenge - a dr. seuss inspired challenge! there is no way i am missing it... all month i have been thinking on it... even ordered a book from ebay - because cutting into books borders on the sacrilegious for me and i wouldn't cut up any of my treasures anyway... i have been sketching and making notes... so then, i became so invested that i was afraid to start it... i have visions in my head of what i hope it will become... 

having realized that i was doing my usual avoidance in the face of fear thing, i decided yesterday to just start... (doesn't hurt that i also realized it was already the 26th!)... got the chain made... paddles... and then found pictures in the book... this project has the potential to be one of those where i lose track of time, offer the kids cereal for dinner & allow them to stay up too late... 

today i did resin and got the etched pieces ready... using a technique of deryn mentock's from step by step wire february/march, i felt a little more in control of the paper... of course, i won't know until it dries... but i am hopeful... am i really having this much fun? the keith o'connor beads i needed another set of are sold out, so that has me a little disappointed... but it will work out... it always does... 

'if you never did you should.

these things are fun and fun is good.'

~ dr. seuss (theodor seuss geisel)

thank you erin, for encouraging the fun... this is really, REALLY good for me -