"How on Earth was that done?"

"The Beginning"
Acrylics And Mixed media
Birch Panel
24" X 24"

Today's entry is not about my art.
It is how the art forms of others make me better at what I do.

It is about the wonder that surrounds those of us 

that ask

"How on Earth was that done?"

A lovely friend of mine is an author.

She is dedicated to her work and has worked 

(sometimes agonizingly)

passionately on her manuscripts.

Through her, I have learned that if we do not take time

 to appreciate the intensely dedicated work of others to complete a project,

we will fail to complete the roles we have assigned ourselves in any good fashion.

For any Artist, be you a Baker, a Shoemaker, a Nurse, a Teacher, or an Author,

unless you realize and appreciate the trials and tribulations

 of others creations, craft, or profession,

you cannot appreciate the fabulous standards your own works have to live up to.

The people surrounding us (often unknowingly) are all artisans in their own right.

I put paint and other mediums on a canvas.

when I am finished one I am either pleased with the work 

or

 so dissatisfied that I will completely change it, 

or  junk it and begin anew.

Without the proper tools we use to craft in our chosen profession

we are left floating in nothingness.
Sometimes the proper tools are what we see
when we look at other people going about their daily life
 and completing certain tasks.

Everything we do goes way back in time to when someone said,
"I have an idea on how to make this work, 

I will craft it and share it with others,

 so they can utilize it and create something new with it."
We, in turn use the tool, improve on it, 

and often turn it into 

 something totally different.

I cannot tell you how many times that the end result of an  Art-work

 that I present to the public is a totally different concept from what I had in mind at the beginning.

Authors revise, edit, revise and edit more.

Nurses  & Teachers are constantly improving on their profession.

Everything changes constantly

and

if we do not stop and ask
"How did that ever get done?"
The true meaning of  the tools we use in our everyday lives

are useless,

and what we do becomes meaningless.
~~Kathleen

Wasted Leaves, Resurrected"

"Wasted Leaves, Resurrected"

Acrylics/mixed medium

Birch Panel
24" X 24"

The other day, while taking out the garbage, I tripped over something in the snow.

I used my foot and uncovered the object.

I was saddened to see a part of a book.

Looks like someone, for whatever reason, tore the pages out of binding
and
ripped it into sections..

I had tripped over one of the sections.

The pages were in reasonable shape, it was too cold for any moisture to 

damage the leaves.

I picked it up kinda slapped it against my leg to knock the snow off what was left.

Such a waste.

The beautiful words inside were lost ,
The binding was lost, a tree was lost.

Nothing good would come of it ever again.

I took it inside with me, lay it on my work desk and let it dry for a couple of days.

All the time wondering how I could do something to

make it better.

A hopeless task to be sure.

I love books.
 They were my constant companions when I was young,
And all throughout my youth. 

They were my refuge.

I owe Books so much.
 As, who I became, how I acted, and what I knew,
 came from reading books.

When the pages were dry, somewhat stiff and marked,
I saw them as an artwork desecrated, and incomplete.

The idea for this work of art formed slowly in my mind 

and

Kind of came together on its own.

I was saving some of the pages, and reforming them.
I gave them life with colour.

This work of art emerged slowly.

I documented my progress and present it to you here.

I hope you like it.
I have saved the rest of the unused pages.
For another time, another use.
All is not lost, and in my mind,
I paid homage to a once beautiful book.
and helped it become something incredible again.

~~Kathleen

 The cut outs from the pages in the first application of colour.

Final paint and the leaves drying.

Detail of the words on the Leaves

Rough arrangement of the leaves

Glueing each leaf down

Drying after the top glaze is done

~~