64/100: Arcs + Pattern/Repetition
"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine."-Anthony J. D'Angelo, American Writer
Bringing the sunshine, even as I am carving/printing late into the evening. I had so much fun exploring all new patterns with this carved stamp and can't decide which is my favorite. I'd love to hear which printed patterns speak to you....
65/100: Skinny + Nature
"I think good artists know when they're on a roll, and they recognize when lightning is striking. It's a very fortunate thing to have that inspiration and not to overanalyze it or mess with it; you just follow it if you love what you do."-Johnny Marr, English Musician, Singer/Songwriter
Lightning strikes tonight with these vertical layouts...
66/100: Square + Repeat Pattern
"When you're doing exactly what you want to do, it's not tiring. You've been planting these seeds, and finally, you have a full garden in bloom; you're like, 'Oh, I just want to smell the flowers and play among the flowers all day.' That's what I'm doing. I'm playing among the flowers."-Colman Domingo, American Actor, Writer, and Director
A lovely evening to play among these flowery mandala designs! I am having more and more fun adding more intricate details into my carved prints!
67/100: Skinny + Text
"Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is the only moment."–Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, Peace Activist, and Teacher
Take a few minutes to breathe in and out...so simple, yet so effective.
It had been a rather long day with a pretty hefty to do list. I wasn't quite sure what text to carve. Throughout the day I kept reminding myself to just breathe. While connecting with a friend and fellow yogi, we were chatting about carving. I shared my text assignment for the day and asked if she had any suggestions. I said i was thinking about the word breathe and she shared that was the first word that popped into her head and suggested a long flowing line in and out of the word. Perfect!
68/100: Artist's Choice + Artist's Choice
“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.”-John Grogan, American Author
A nose and whiskers in honor of all the amazing and loving pets that have been in my life! The nose also represented my persistent and very runny nose that started earlier that day. At first I thought it was in response to significant pollen levels, but as it continued to get worse, I soon realized that I had a nasty headcold that packed quite a punch to my immune system! But I am glad that I rallied and made it into the studio for a quick carve (which probably took 3xs longer since I had to keep pausing to blow my nose!)
69/100: Artist's Choice + Pattern/Repetition
But I rallied and headed into the studio for a quick and simple carve inspired by modern medicine. It was fun to rotate to fill in different spaces and disguise the carved design but had to stop with just these two prints as my energy was rapidly fading.
My initial search for an accompanying quote was overwhelming, likely a result of my foggy brain. The only quote that resonated with how I was feeling was "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired." by Fannie Lou Hamer. I posted with haste and headed off to bed. I am incredible thankful for a message left by a fellow Instagrammer inquiring if I was familiar with Fannie Lou Hamer's story...which I was not. After a quick search to learn more, I soon realized that my little head cold was nothing compared to what Fannie Lou Hamer faced during her life with regards to racism, threats on her life, a forced sterilization, denied right to vote, and so much more. I invite you to learn more about this incredible woman and her persistence to serve as a leader of civil and voting rights, along with economic opportunities for African Americans.
70/100: Square + Repeat Pattern
Phew! I was so relieved to wake up feeling well enough to teach a 6-hour workshop for the Jacksonville Modern Quilt Guild. And while I was still a bit tired, I was thankful to have significantly improved energy, appetite, and my creative mojo back! I was excited to celebrate my return to better health by heading into the studio to design a new repeat pattern. Just like free-motion quilting, carving is a matter of dividing up the space into smaller shapes and then filling in with pattern and texture!
As usual, I had one vision in mind as I was designing and carving the block, but lots of new possibilities emerged during the printing process!
"So forget any ideas you've got about lost cities, exotic travel, and digging up the world. We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and "X" never, ever marks the spot."-Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
X marks the spot on this repeat block pattern!
70 days down, 30 more left to carve and print! My list of favorite designs continues to grow with each week and I can't wait to see what the next 30 days inspires me to stamp!
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