there is a method to the madness (sometimes)

Paula Kovarik, 2013.

basting a piece for final stitch work gives me time to think about how the fabric will react to manipulation. Since I have chosen to work with recycled materials there are often worn sections or stains to contend with. I admit to adding a few of my own stains in the process at least a pin prick of blood, an accidental tea stain, or, with this piece, a little pigment die. So when I saw this shading on the pale ground that was shaped sort of like a wolf, I just had to add him to the composition. The longer I work with a piece the looser the basting (as evidenced above) Thing is, I have been more interested lately in how those loose threads look than I am in finalizing the piece. Must focus. must focus.

letting go

Paula Kovarik, 2013

Scattered, questioning, revising, embellishing, tearing up, repositioning and letting go. That's what it's all about these days. And when I look at the work I am doing those characteristics are coming through.

filipendulous

On Monday my daily word from Wordsmith was

filipendulous
an adjective meaning Hanging by a thread

A great word for the feeling I often have when doing these stream of consciousness doodles. What direction will they take me? Is it a maze or a path? What does it mean? Does it really have to mean something? What can I do with it? Where do I go next?

And, since I was taught to use each new word I learn in a sentence ...

These filipendulous drawings scatter a network of breadcrumbs for the journey ahead.

filipendulous, Paula Kovarik, 2013

Invitational exhibit

Two of my pieces will be part of a Gallery 56 invitational exhibit beginnning Friday. Other artists include Greg Bowden, Mike Coulson, Terry Kenney, Bien Howard, Juan Rojo, Shamek Weddle, John Sadowski, Evan Lebaroff, Katie Dan, Cedar Lorca Nordbye, and Gary Parisi.

If you are in the area, please stop by the opening.

Gallery 56 • 2256 Central Ave. • Memphis • Opening February 1, 5 - 8 pm.

©2012, Paula Kovarik, Looking for love in all the wrong places.

studies in direction

aging cracks, 2013, Paula Kovarik

I was working on a piece last night that I had always imagined in a horizontal format. In other words, I wanted the eye to read left to right across the surface in horizontal layers. But then I looked at the surface more obliquely (out of the corner of my eye and squinting) and I realized that doing that with the stitching added an element of calm, not dynamism, as I wanted.I may twist the piece 90 degrees to accomplish that and boy what a difference that makes!

So this morning I studied this photo from my walk yesterday to analyze how direction of line affects the interpretation of the elements. I twisted it around a bit to see what differences I could percieve. I think the image on the left looks hopeful and indicates growth (progressing left to right from dark to light) while the image on the right seems to portray deterioration and collapse.

Am I imagining this?

Here is another image of the same photo. This time I mirrored it (flipped it horizontally) So now what do I see? I see an effort of growth from chaos on the left. And on the right, growth that becomes complicated or corrupt. Is either side positive or completely negative? Not sure. It may be all in the eye of the beholder.