History by Donna Watson, oil and cold wax, collage and Japanese string
Every seed grows in darkness and silence.
Story by Donna Watson, oil and cold wax, collage and scroll
For the first 6 months of 2013, I faced a serious creative block in my studio. I wanted some sort of change, but did not know why or what. I did not know how to move forward, nor what to experiment with or what to try that would result in some sort of change that I would like.
Mapping by Donna Watson, oil and cold wax, collage bundle
I finally decided to try a new medium. For the past 6 monte or so, I have been experimenting with cold wax and oil paints. It took me awhile to get used to the slower drying time. With a lot of experimenting and layering... I ended up with many layers which I scratched, rubbed, pressed, brayered... and I have finally ended with some new finished pieces.
Old Scroll by Donna Watson, oil and cold wax, old collage papers and old scroll
I also decided to change and add to my collage. Everyone has a story to tell. Stories become our compass by which we navigate through our memories and discover our core being. We use stories to build our sanctuaries. These stories (memories) become our history.
Riverbed by Donna Watson, oil and cold wax, paper bundle, rock, string
Because our memories are intertwined with language, I like to explore the importance of words, phrases, sentences... snatches of memory lingering in and out of consciousness. My collage became
layers of old letters, book pages, and old maps wrapped into bundles. Scrolls, which can hide stories and histories, have also been included. These remains of the past represent our memories in the present.
Every human life has its seeds, whether building a sand castle, cooking, painting a canvas, walking through the woods.
And now, for the drawing for my book: THE BEAUTY OF NOTHINGNESS. Thank you to all those who left comments at my blog and those who sent email comments. There were 65 names.
I wrote down all the names, cut them into pieces that were folded and put into a bowl... and the one name I drew out is..... Barry!
Thank you again, and if any of you are still interested in my book you can go to Blurb.com
here and take a look at the whole book.
