Creating an Inspiration Space

And so it happens ... the rhythms change just a little bit, and movement occurs. A trip to Ikea for shelves and bins and a little table. A few days later unloading them. A week later bringing them up to the studio. Bit by bit...After returning from Venice this summer in July my treasures sat in bags for over six months until this weekend when I felt inspired to rip my studio apart to bring mosaic art in. I had been envisioning the vibrant glass smalti in my studio looking just as it appears above. For me, this summer when I studied mosaic in the haven of inspiration and creativity at Orsoni Mosaici it was the environment that rejuvenated me most. Seeing the tile library for the first time, with the shelves upon shelves of color coded tiles absolutely overwhelmed me with its beauty. There is nothing like it, that I have ever seen. Just to create a small memory of that in my studio today brought me joy.

This little steps for me of recreating my studio space, inspire me to create and reach out more to my artistic community. Those connections I made this summer with the other artists at Orsoni have resurged with an email or two. Hearing about their current adventures and projects in Sicily and South Africa, inspire me.

Teaching high school students I am challenged to help students find their inspiration, and to help them come out of periods of seeming inactivity. With these last few months though I make art every day in the classroom, my own work has gone through long spells of rest. But as an artist, I am coming to respect these times of rest and contemplation. Being an artist does not require the constant creation of artwork. The pondering, and exploring are key components. Preparing our minds and souls, taking in our environment, and understanding what is important to us- this is all part of the process.