points of departure

'if there were only one truth,
you couldn't paint a hundred canvases on the same theme.'

- pablo picasso

one of the things i find so fascinating is how people can do so many different things with the same components... it is fun to watch from a distance, it can feel like pressure sometimes when it's your toes on the line... because you don't want to overstep... i feel like the abs monthly challenges really highlight this - with theme, not materials as the common denominator... i love to see how each person designs something that really is reflective of their style...

then styles evolve... luckily the glass makers, ceramicists, metal smiths, etc. are changing too - and i find that pushes me... sometimes i intentionally buy pieces that i have no idea what to do with but am drawn to... some of my favorite designs have come from components that made me take my time... sometimes 6 months worth of time, just hovering around in my consciousness, waiting...

over the winter, i purchased a wooden tool called a lucet (the word is latin for 'is shining')... it dates back to the vikings and was used by them to make cord that is four-sided and flat... the effect can be changed by the threads you choose, how many you use, etc... i had also purchased some lampwork beads that i just couldn't work into anything in a way that felt right to me... the lucet arrived, i bought yarn & made a length... but i still couldn't figure out what to do with it... so i put it all away...

recently the lucet started calling to me, reminding me that it was right there patiently awaiting my attention... and those beautiful beads... so yesterday morning i decided to try something... this is a first attempt... i love mixed media & how the threads look with the brown vintaj... things that are woven draw me because that process is eons old...