Peg Kerr's Journal

Week 7: Fall
The beautiful and familiar are falling away, leaving bare spaces for winter's approach.



I think this may be one of my favorite cards I've ever made.

The original title for this was 'Leaf Fall' which I originally visualized as one word and then realized that wouldn't work. And because I'm limiting myself to just one word as titles for these cards, I played around until I realized that 'Fall' could refer both to the season and the falling of the leaves. Excellent.

One of the impetuses for this was a discussion I had with Delia about an art project she was working on for her Introduction to Drawing class. She was to draw a common object (she used a hole punch) and then draw it different ways over the course of fourteen days, using a different medium each time. The trick is to keep finding new ways to convey the object when you start to run out of ideas. I suggested that the line could be conveyed by negative space. Two of the ideas I gave her were 1) to use pinpricks through the paper to outline her subject, and then 2) to use cut outs: negative space in other words, like you see in some of the marvelously ornate pumpkins that people have been carving the past several years for Halloween: you suggest the line of an object by illuminating what's around it.

The autumn here has been gorgeous, and the fall colors just about reached their height last week. Even as I was enjoying the colors, I've been feeling increasingly uneasy about what's coming next. I was struck by the very strong correlation between what I'm going through, with this job search, and the leaf fall all around me. When I was laid off, I had my severance period, I could enjoy my suddenly free time, take walks, visit with my family, etc. A lot of people who are laid off initially treat this time as a mini vacation. But I'm aware that world I lived in of my job (routines, friendships, tasks) has fallen away. It felt a little unreal at first, but it really feels real now. My severance period will eventually be coming to an end, and then my income will drop precipitously when I go on unemployment. And if I can't find a job then...

So I see the beautiful leaf fall and at the same time, the bare spaces left behind that are growing. Winter is coming. Hard times are coming. Have I stored up enough acorns to see my family through?

I loved, loved, loved making this card, and to do so, I used a method I've never tried before. I cut out small delicate leaves from my collected images, but instead of gluing them on the card, I used them as templates; I laid them over the card and drew tiny brush strokes of paint away from the leaf edges, first in white and then with a wash of autumnal colors over the white (the color on black alone wouldn't have shown up). Then I peeled the leaves away, leaving the finely edged outline of a leaf behind. Finally, I added a few, spare touches of gold.

I had a tough time capturing a good scan of the card with the scanner app I have on my iPod touch. Reflections of light on the black kept washing out the paint. Finally got a good one on my screened in porch (indirect light) and toned down the brightness to make the scrim of white reflection disappear while keeping the leaf color true, but that made the card look almost as if it is deep purple rather than black. Then I had to monkey with other parameters to make the card look black again.

Made this card yesterday, as part of a lovely day I spent with minnehaha K. Thanks for the use of your paints! And I really enjoyed your company.

Manicure week two, again, courtesy of Delia.

Delia has been learning jewelry-making from elisem for the past six years. Elise is having an on-line sale, and for the first time, some of Delia's work is being offered, too. Delia's pieces will be available for only one week, so take a look and if you see something you like, grab it now! Delia would be thrilled to make a sale, so I hope you will stop by to check it out. At the very least, she would love comments on her work. Thanks!

See here.

Helena (Delia) and Hermia:



Oberon:



Puck makes mischief:



And as a result, Helena is not happy:





( Other pictures from the show )

Two items of wunderbar news came down this week: first of all, Delia has landed HER DREAM JOB. Why yes, she is going to be working part time at Michaels, the craft store. She's only wanted to work there since she was eight.

Secondly! A part in a play! And not just any play, but a really major role: she is going to be playing Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream. She received news that she had the part and she wavered a bit, wondering if she could handle it, along with classes and the job. But she's decided to go for it. We're just thrilled for her.

Kudos to Miss Delia from her proud parents.

Delia is thinking in terms of colleges now. She knows that she wants to apply to schools where she can study an arts emphasis, and that means starting to build an artist's portfolio. I had a scathingly brilliant idea: I told her I would commission an art piece for her to display in my office cubicle. I wanted something that would display her skills as an artist and something that would make me happy when I look at it.

So I decided to commission a picture of The Holy Tree, the concept that has been so important to me from Yeat's poem The Two Trees. She started talking about initial concept with me last night, and had a cool idea for three little mini pen and ink drawings to the side and then the main piece would be larger. I'm excited to see what she comes up with. I will pay her when it is completed, so it is a real artist commision. And she'll have something to add to her portfolio!

This is one of the ideas I suggested as an influence: Tolkien's conception of the Two Trees of Creation:

Telperion and Laurelin, the Trees of Valinor

My holy tree will have both flowers and fruit, and I told her I particularly like the trumpet-shaped flowers on the golden tree here.

Happy birthday to my lovely artist girl ooh_pretty_mine. Whether it's creating a Snape teapot cosy, a beautiful dress, amigurumi, a knitted purse or pining after an electric guitar, you must always be doing something. Life with you is never boring!

I haven't posted since Christmas since, for all practical purposes, it's still going on for us. I have to go to work this week, but my family has been gathering every night in the evenings.

Here are some pictures from Christmas morning:

Christmas morning 2010

( More Christmas pictures )

( Here's a video showing Delia's reaction when we gave her her biggest gift )

Look at my birthday pressie from Delia! A Severus Snape Potter Puppet Pal tea pot cozy!









Thanks to chirosinger who taught her how to make it!

Bwahaha!

Delia shows off the dinner she made for everyone (with garnishes) here.