Wednesday, July 8

July 7

click on images for detailed view

You would pretty much have to be living in a cave not to have been exposed to some part of the Michael Jackson coverage since his death. I've done my best to avoid the whole media blitz.  I'm just not drawn to participating in the memorializing of lives of people that have ended and I don't know personally.  I appreciate the need for some to do so, but I can't think of any figure, past or present, that I'd want to win a lottery ticket to get to go to their funeral and see performances commemorating their lives.  Just not my thing.  So while the concert memorial service celebration mourning was going on, I decided to work on my journal.

I picked up my book and the first page it opened to was the following:


Sorry, I already gessoed it when I thought to photograph it, but if you click on the photo for a closer view, you'll see the words beneath the surface include "Ceremonies, Funeral rite, State ceremony"... "Celebration".  Seems the energy of the day was unavoidable.

As the pages above indicate, I haven't been in the best of places physically, but I'm fully with it all emotionally.  
Part of the reason for that is because I've pushed myself through a few days of creating .  Ideas have been percolating, so I went with the simplest of them, including carving the stamp below.  I really enjoyed the process while it lasted - just got rather pissed off later when I couldn't open and close my hands.
I stamped the images onto pieces of muslin from Lynne (that I believe was tea stained, Lynne?!) and had come wrapped around a number of little treasures she sent me a few weeks ago.  They were the perfect size for this two sided stamp!
I've also had the desire to make a book, even though I knew it would cause more problems for my hands (I can be stubborn that way - I did spread the activity out over a few days) so this seemed a good place to use the swatch as decoration.  It's a chunky little book with 120 pages, made from a light weight paper that is 92% post consumer waste and 8% coconut fiber.


For those that are wondering, I'm still waiting for the appeal process on my insurance company's approval of the new medication treatment to unfold, after their initial denial.

19 comments:

  1. Karin, you truly are a beautiful artist and a special person. Your lotus stamp and your book are just so lovely.

    I'm not into memorials of dead famous people, either. The whole thing just seemed... surreal. Those poor children!

    Anyway, I'm sending you some prayers, hoping the insurance issue gets sorted out ASAP!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm with you Karin. I didn't watch any of it. Spent my day in my studio.
    Your new book is amazing. I just love it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, Karin - your book is just magnificent and so it that stamp. What an unbelievable amount of work and an obvious labor of love - love for the art, in spite of the pain. You blow me away !

    In agreement about the Michael Jackson ceremonies...tried to stay away about the vibe kept poking its way in...now that the hyper stuff is done, I hope that he, his family and all of us can rest in peace for a good long while...There is always hope, right ?
    Kisses and gentle rubs on those talented, powerful hands of yours.

    ReplyDelete
  4. the Michael Jackson thing was on TV?

    The journal pages at the top are... don't even know how to express the reality they present. Technically they're amazing.

    Also, can't believe you carved that stamp?! No wonder your hands were angry - they may take a while to get over it, but love, love, love the work!

    ReplyDelete
  5. LOVE the chunky book- the stitching must have been a challenge! Your pages always amaze me- Love you love your blog!
    I watched both the MJ thing and the Farrah documentary...I guess I don't have enough grief in my life! The MJ thing was surreal- "Why did GOD take my brother?"...No, GOD didn't - drugs did, morron!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice to hear what was beginning to feel like the lone voice of reason re Michael Jackson.

    ReplyDelete
  7. oh my god! where to start! the muslin, the book, and the journal pages are beyond words. perfection. yes, that's what i feel... visual perfection.

    i love, LOVE the journal pages... passion and rage scream, and yet their voices are subtle and soft too... the colors are stunning...

    having just spent a few hours painting on muslin, i am overjoyed to see what you've done with these pieces. they're just singing!! those stamps are PERFECT!! and the book is so freakin' sweet! oh my!

    thank you for all of this...

    xo

    (oh yeah, i dyed the muslin with walnut ink)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh wow - I love the book - its amazing, and I love the spread, too. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you so much Svasti - I am touched by your words. yeah - surreal is the word for the whole reaction/coverage/etc to MJ's death. I'm thinking people need/want something like this to bond over, rather than issues we can work on that require us to change and tae responsibility over, but maybe I read to much into it all, and think too much!! My heart does go out to the children, too. They have stepped into some big lives, for sure.

    Hey Manon, looks like there were a bunch of us choosing media free creativity!!

    Thank you Kim!! It really was a fun little creation, and probably looks like more work than it really is. but yes, a practice of love takes out the labor, plus sharp tools and soft stamp material make it cut 'like buttah" :) Now if it were linoleum, we'd be talking a different story!

    heh heh, your so funny Patti! You didn't notice the extra playing of MJ videos lately?!? thank you my friend :)

    Hi Linda Sue - another great tool for making ease of book binding is my needle awl. It's a vice that holds an actual needle so it's super sharp and glides through many layers of paper and will create the size hole you are going to sew, if you put the same size needle in it - which I did. So that made the book stitching process pretty smooth. I need to find a source for that tool to share with folks - its one of those things I picked up along the way many years ago and haven't seen a good one since. I definitely treasure mine like gold!!
    as far as indulging in the memorials for a good dose of sorrow, I can get that! Sometimes it feels good to fully immerse oneself in the emotions that surround us, and grief is surely up there these days with all the losses people are experiencing, on so many levels. Feel it, express it, and move it on through...

    Hey Whitney, there has to be some reason for such an extreme response, but I'm still kinda shaking my head in wonder - we humans are an odd lot!

    hee Lynne, I'm smiling - thanks!! that's right - now I remember, walnut ink - I *need* some of that!! though I played with coffee, tea, prune and blue berry juices recently - all brought very satisfying results to my scarps of fabric. I tore apart a bunch of old clothes, like some silk pants that made me look like I had tree stump legs - they'll make much better art than pants!!

    Thank you everyone!!
    xox K

    ReplyDelete
  10. This spread is so strong and powerful. Quite mesmerizing. Love the book too!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I guess I am living in a cave, tee hee. Or maybe just the other side of the world and I don't watch the news.

    I love your book, and the stamp is beautiful too.

    I hope you get your new medication and that it helps.
    xox

    ReplyDelete
  12. very interesting

    ReplyDelete
  13. Karin I said ouch as soon as I saw the page and then when I read come with me; I was like no way in hell would I go with you.

    Karin I am sorry about the pain and I wish those bastards would just give you what you need.

    I love the book and the stamp.

    Love you so much.

    Renee xoxox

    ReplyDelete
  14. is that a sewn binding? More info!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. hi Seth, thank you -i appreciate your observations.

    gee zom, I heard on the nightly news that "dozens" of aussies gathered to watch the memorial! That cracked me up, after they showed the 100's-10's of thousands else where!! yeah to the Australians for balancing priorities :^)

    thanks Great Cartoons!

    Well, Renee, we can ride side by side - you've got enough going on in your own vehicle!!
    I found out today that my husband has a supplemental prescription coverage through his work, so things are looking up!! will keep you posted, xox K

    Hi Deb, yes it is hand stitched, and really simple, but I don't think I can explain verbally - I will try to do a tutorial video very soon. I was going to for this one, but got inspired to do the stitching part at about 2 a.m. in my pj's and well, my bit of vanity wasn't willing to go on camera!! stay tuned!

    ReplyDelete
  16. karin, i've just given you an award at my place... feel free to do with it as you like. you're very deserving of it, my friend... xo

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Karin - So glad you stopped by so that I could find you here. Your stamp and your journal pages are so very inspiring. Thank you!
    :) lulu

    ReplyDelete
  18. tutorial - yes :) I've finished the video part, now I'll be editing and uploading, which seems to be what takes me the longest! stay tuned Zom!!

    many thanks Lynne - i am honored, and that bella sinclair award is such a pretty one!

    hi lulu, you're welcome, and thank you!! it's like opening presents when clicking on a link and finding new people that inspire! I think your fallen bird photo actually inspired a dream I had last night...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting and leaving your thoughts!