Monday 3 January 2011

Honesty - one stitch at a time

Firstly I would like to say a very heart felt 'Thank You' for all your kind support in my previous post. I do feel much better and reassured that we have made the right decision concerning our cat, Marvin's care. But life goes on.

"Inspiration is for amateurs, I just get to work"  Chuck Close

"...and I slowly build these paintings, construct them, in the way someone might crochet or knit.
If you believe in the process and you knit one, purl two long enough, eventually you get a sweater."


I found the above quotation from Chuck Close very empowering as I am one who used to think that to be an 'artist' one had to sit around and wait for inspiration to hit like a bolt of lightning. Whereas I have learned that it is only by 'doing' that inspiration comes. Sometimes just through playing around and experimenting without  thought to outcome, sometimes by looking at others' work.  I also liked the idea that his work is incremental and if he sticks to his process he will end up with his painting.
I have, at last, finished my book based on an Honesty Seed Head - one stitch at a time, one process at a time.







Click on any of the pictures for close-up details

Now I intend to fill the book, one page at a time. I have been collecting information about the Honesty plant and quotations involving the word honesty, so this time I think I will fill the book before offering it for sale,  that way the whole thing is a piece of my art work. 
 I did sell my Leaf book with blank pages for someone else to fill - what do you think?

Here is a brief intro into Chuck Close


Have a good week - and never give up!

25 comments:

Marigold Jam said...

Oh Jill that book is beautiful - I think it would be lovely filled with suitable quotations and can't bear to think of anyone buying it and then filling it will something naff! I don't think I'd be able to part with it if I'd made it. How did you do the pretty leaf at the end of the bookmark? Love it.

Glad you are at least feeling reassured about Marvin. I miss his picture at the top of your blog!

Jane x

flutterbycrafter said...

Stunning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jill said...

Jane the little leaf is cut from heavy weight pelmet vilene. I used pinking shears and cut off the points. It is dyed using Koh-i-noor waterbased dye and then drawn on using gel pens and colour pencil.The edges were then enhanced with a hot soldering iron and final the whole thing sealed with acrylic wax.

menopausalmusing said...

Happy New Year Jill... sorry its late, the "lurgy" struck over Christmas. Sorry to read about Marvin but I just know that had it been our Big Boy (also almost a stone in weight!) then the same decision would have been taken by us. Sometimes it just is not worth the distress of the treatments......

Lovely book and I just LOVE the idea of quotes re honesty...........

Heloise said...

Absolutely stunning!

harmony and rosie said...

Jill this work is stunning, you have such a wonderful imagination. You really must complete it and make sure you sign it too! Sorry I missed your previous post, you poor things, what a decision to have to make but I truly believe you have acted in kindness and are taking the very best course for Marvin. He would be so miserable with the treatment, I'm sure he would much prefer some dignity and a quieter life.

Kate x

ju-north said...

Now that book is different! Wish I'd made it!!

Clare Wassermann said...

That honesty book is astonishingly beautiful - very inspirational x

Unknown said...

Very lovely. This looks like one book you need to fill yourself Jill.

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

Absolutely stunning :-)
Anne x

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Hi Jill, love the book, love the colours. I think that you have made the right decision about Marvin's treatment and hope that he stays healthy for some time yet. x

Jacqui Chimes said...

Beautiful work

Sandra Hall said...

Gorgeous work Jill :) x

Leone said...

your book is beautiful. Also, I want to thank you for the calendar idea. I made one yesterday and just love it!!. Yours is adorable and I wish many pain free days for Marv. Happy New Year!

Leenie said...

Most certainly a work of art!! And doing every day works much better for me than waiting for that great inspiration. Good thoughts.

SCALEY SCALES said...

HI Jill. We are back from Scotland and happy New Year to you, Tod and Marvin. We had a chat bout the big fella when we saw you last and you are making the right decision. We have that advantage when it comes to animals, we can save them from unecessary suffering. What a pity we can't offer fellow humans the same thing! See you soon. John and Trish.

Unknown said...

Delish! each and every stich, great qoute too!

Love Dawn xx

I have put a comment on your cat's Marvin post first time I have been here and I just had to comment on more that one thing.

The journals are fabby too!

Love Dawn xx

MILLY said...

Love the honesty book, so many different stitches and details, really unique.
Best wishes Jill for another creative year.

iHanna said...

What a stunningly beautiful book! I could sell a journal I had made but not one I had filled with "me". That I would keep. :-)

Happy New Creative Year to you!

Unknown said...

Your books are just stunning!!! I have had a lovely couple of hours reading your blog! THANKS

Fran Hillman said...

This is beautifully intricate and you're so right about inspiration. So get on and do it I must!

Joy said...

I like the video about Chuck Close. One of his pieces is in the St.Louis, MO Art Museum in the U.S. I always found it quite striking and amazing, especially when I would get up close to it. You do interesting work Jill. Keep it up, girl.

Dawn said...

This is just lovely! You put so much texture and wonderful color into your journal.

Unknown said...

Hello! I love this book.... stunning work!!!

Margaret S said...

Jill,
Searching for inspiration in prep for a Cas Holmes workshop and this popped up for honesty. I just love small books and this fits the bill in so many ways.
Just about to browse your other posts.