calling cards
found in the back of a drawer, yellowed, faded, forgotten,
made from collagraph trimmings, in pre-digital days
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by Marja-Leena by Marja-Leena autumnal reds
My current passion for the colour red in my latest printworks is also jumping out at me with its abundance amongst the fall colours of many trees around here right now, especially the maples.
Added November 13th… this quote struck me as deeply evocative and timely:
The Universe story is the quintessence of reality. We perceive the story. We put it in our language, the birds put it in theirs, and the trees put it in theirs. We can read the story of the Universe in the trees. Everything tells the story of the Universe. The winds tell the story, literally, not just imaginatively. The story has its imprint everywhere, and that is why it is so important to know the story. If you do not know the story, in a sense you do not know yourself; you do not know anything. – Thomas Berry
with thanks to Whiskey River
by Marja-Leena sneak preview
Falling behind as I am with my blog posting here, I offer my faithful readers a little sneak peek at what is currently keeping me very busy. This is a section of a work in progress for what I hope will be the next Fragments print. It may still change, so, onward!
by Marja-Leena hand in worship
artist’s hand with physalis, first published in qarrtsiluni
Hands have been a major preoccupation of mine as I once wrote about here. When qarrtsiluni put out a call for submissions on the theme of worship, I began to think of the meaning of that word in a somewhat less than usual religious context.
I was inspired once again by the idea of how my hands are so much a part of me as a human being and as an artist, not just for the act of creating art but also for holding, observing and treasuring special found objects. I started to explore this idea by scanning my hand as if in the act of drawing, rather like when I had photographed my hand some years ago. I continued to make a small series of scans of my hand holding certain objects that are precious to me, as if in worship of those small things that make up this world we live in. I submitted several of these to qarrtsiluni’s guest editors and was thrilled when they were all selected.
These are now up today, including the image above. I hope you enjoy the artist’s hand as well as the other marvelous entries in qarrtsiluni’s worship issue.
P.S. Editor Dave Bonta told me that this is my 16th post at qarrtsiluni. I cannot believe it and must check out the archives in the author index.
P.S.2: Here is an earlier scan of a physalis, a favourite of mine.
by Marja-Leena patterns
thinking about patterns and textures as fragments,
as possibilities for layering with other objects,
…. still a work in progress
by Marja-Leena twine(d)
More treasures from the bottom of my ‘textures for collagraphs’ bag…
Coarser and stiffer than jute, is it sisal?
Fascinating how these recent scans of twine have brought forth many comments and questions about the fibres, and sent me on a learning journey. Meanwhile, my head and body feel a bit entwined by some kind of mild flu bug, so have been a little quiet lately.
by Marja-Leena more jute
I am really enjoying revisiting this wonderful fibre! I’m surprised and pleased at all the comments the first jute post received.
Meanwhile some of the jute imagery has gone into a new print I’m currently working on so wish me luck on that one, it’s looking good so far. Here are a few pieces from long ago that also incorporated rope or jute: Paths XI and Paths XIII, and one I’d almost forgotten, a Head Dress!
by Marja-Leena origins
detail from FRAGMENTS II
I keep thinking about my deep fascination for my own origins, of the origins of the Finno-Ugrics, and of all humans. I’m understanding more and more that this is at the very root of my fascination and passion for the traces left behind by these early people on rocks and cave walls, in their sculptures, standing stones, dolmens, pottery, jewelry and so on. And this passion naturally translates into my own art work.
Casually browsing through some of my archives, I came across this almost forgotten post from 2007 which really resonates for me at this moment, especially the above passage.
Back at the printmaking studio after several months’ absence, I am revisiting the last prints I finished, especially the FRAGMENTS pieces. I am gathering thoughts, ideas, feelings along with possible relevant images from my massive files as I plan new work. It is a process I need to go through, a kind of evaluation of past work and finding the connecting threads to carry forth as I move into the new.
UPDATE Sept.23rd, 2011: The Fragments category is now up under Printworks. I will add more works as they are created and completed. Thanks to Marly for the question in the comments, it has spurred me on to remind my designer daughter to help add that category at long last.
by Marja-Leena almost September
The last of the summer’s visitors are gone but this late summer heat wave still slows me down. My thoughts are swinging to my return to the printmaking studio after the Labour Day long weekend in September. Many ideas have been incubating over the summer but now I need to try to see what comes together in new printworks. It’s always a slow process for me to restart that engine, turning ideas into action and getting into a regular smooth and productive flow. It’s rather like the annual back-to-school change in rhythm which we have all grown up with, and which continued for me through art school and teaching, then sending my own children to school and me to the print studio each fall.
It helps me to begin with some play with images, even if unrelated to the print projects. I am doing a series of scans with my hands and objects (for an online project that I may tell you about later). This image seems timely for me right now.
by Marja-Leena sepia
Elisa and her little girls arrived safely in London in the early hours of this morning, Vancouver time. They are joyful seeing husband and father after more than two months. The last few days have been a whirlwind, then the very sad parting hit hard and we’re missing them terribly. We keep expecting to hear the sounds of happy children.
Eldest daughter is still here for a few more days so that’s keeping us entertained and busy. Then it will be time to catch up on a few home and garden jobs. Most of all I want to start working on some new prints and hope I’m able to get into the print studio in September.
Recalling this oddly related older post: sepia memories