Sunday, August 22, 2010

the ever present dilemma

 

 

susan..here is a closer pic of raven...the fabric is of one of the wrinklie gauzeie india import skirts...very
roughly cut
as for the rest, the ever constant struggle i have with my self about "adding".
something has to change that at some point and i have a little faith that it
will occur, but for now...
i have a couple more hours to sew this eve
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20 comments:

Patty said...

This is a grand start. Everything is in a good place. Maybe wait a day or so before changing much...it does happen that things at times fall where they need to be. I do like the
perspective here.

grace Forrest~Maestas said...

well...have tried a million things
for the "local" sky...as in the
central cloth, just above the
figure, but i just can't.
so...trying some pale blue kantha
it might be all i can bear.
but something's got to give at
some point. not necessarily with
this one, but in general. hmmmm.
i do love your Theater piece....

Deb G said...

There is a very unbalanced feel to this for me...just a perspective. What a great fabric you chose for the raven.

grace Forrest~Maestas said...

Deb G...yes. and maybe this is
a good key for me to the dilemma...
it IS imbalanced because i see
life as in imbalance, in a certain
way...all that is Above is Spirit.
i had turned the cloth upside down
after the first moments, so more
weaving is on the Spirit side, up?
and to me, this world that i move
in is small in comparison. it is
the manifestation of the Spirit,
Spirit Sun, Spirit Moon Spirit Sky
Spirit Creature that represents
all creatures. down here, on
the surface of the world we know,
we do our best to
respond
to what is so
uh
Endlessly Amazing, cosmic, Mysterious
Unknowable
so...if this is the way i feel...
how do i depict it? in a cloth?

grace Forrest~Maestas said...

i just went outside, to check out
my words and yes.
the sky is
vast
the almost full moon is more than
the words
almost full moon
the sky here is aswirl with
what we name
clouds, illuminated by that
moon.
it is endless up there, as far
as i know

and i focus on my footpalms on
the surface of a night cooled earth
and listen to the crickets who are
working toward their end of summer
Mantra
and
yes.
my diorama here is small in
comparison

kaiteM said...

grace personally i see raven as quite threatening to small person and i would like to see small person on more substantial ground...k.

Abigail Thomas said...

I think that of course its unbalanced right now; you are not finished yet! Let yourself go and see what happens. I personally love the way this is going and enjoy the (if I am allowed to use this word!)juxtaposition of the big raven and tiny person as if the raven is coming down from the spirit moon world and encroaching on the tiny persons world.

Elizabeth said...

Hi Grace, just to let you know that I am following the work with interest.
The rough cloth really works for the raven.

Elizabeth said...

Hi grace, I'm following the raven's flight - love the rough texture of the black fabric.

Deb G said...

Our smallness is such a miracle when compared to the immenseness of the universe. Just got a peek at the stars this morning when I let the dogs out.

To be clear, I think the unbalance is right here, it's part of the story.

Unknown said...

Took a second look at the wrinkly, gauzy material for the raven and I swear, I saw feather ripples. A great choice of cloth for the raven grace.

Heartwideopen said...

I'm really excited about this story! I just finished up Summer quarter and one of my classes was Children's Literature. In the unit studying folklore I learned that the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest believe Raven to be spirit of creation. In one of the stories I read Raven was sad to see the people in darkness, and so he devised a plan to find the light and bring it to the people, He Tricked the Sky Chief and his daughter and was able to find the globe of light and snatch it in his beak. He flew away and when he came to the place of darkness he flung it up into the sky.
I really loved the visual pictures I got from that folk tale. Your story cloth reminded me of that story.
HuGGs!
Debi

Storycloth said...

Hi Grace - firstly, I understand your challenge. I think the main consideration is your own 'pleasedness' with the layout. When I think about it - aesthetically pleasing oneself has to come first - because that is the hardest task master available. It is through this refining process of self-expression that we WILL learn the requisite skills. I will write back to your comment re blue girl and self on my blog. For this amazing cloth - do what feels right. Maybe there is veracity in the saying that it is often the first impulse that is truest.Gxx

jude said...

well, well, well....cloth forming.

Gilli said...

It's stunning. I was captured at first glance. Guess I'm seeing it from another Raven's perspective, one flying above this one.

grace Forrest~Maestas said...

wintergreen.3...i like that...
looking down upon, looking down
upon looking down upon....

all...i think i need to write more
about this piece. just waiting
till the words want to get written.

Penny Berens said...

Hi Grace, I think the viewer of this piece is even higher in the skies than the raven, so to me it makes sense that the person is smaller. What would you think of adding a bit of weight below the person or something that brings one's eye down to her 'cos she is so small!

Jacky said...

Grace I just love your raven...that fabric works so well! Interesting reading different peoples ideas on the balance of the piece. Looking from the perspective of the raven, down to earth, the person would be small? I know you will know which direction to take next and look forward to see more.

Jacky xox

Susan said...

Thanks for the close-up on the raven, Grace. I love the rippled texture of the fabric you chose - perfect - and the wispy edges of the wings.

I think that tiny figure holds so much weight because she is so small. It is the size difference between the figures that really speaks to me on this. I think you have illustrated what you described perfectly - the endless sky and all that is above. We are so so small. This is a very beautiful cloth, Grace.

Deborah said...

This is a beautiful piece.