Grabbing at a Potted Plant

A baby will grab at a potted plant

because it looks interesting and new.

If it topples over and spills out

they start playing with the soil,

eating it, 

feeling it,

pulling the remaining plant apart

and sitting proudly 

in the centre of their efforts.

What has been ‘created’

might seem to be a complete mess,

but it’s also an innocent 

and informative

investigation.

—Philippa Stanton, in Conscious Creativity

I pulled another plant off the shelf today.

Tailored Touch
3 x 3"; acrylic and collage on watercolor paper
abstract design
2023

Following Directions

Jane Davies has been playing with scribbles for awhile, and her blog post in January caught my eye with its multi-layered repetitive-back-and-forth scribbles. I wanted to try my hand at layers and back-and-forth.

I looked through the squares I'd cut from a 6 x 9" start I made on my first Bo's Arts afternoon, with an eye towards a background that might lend itself to just such scribbling.

I selected this square.

Then I layered and back-and-forthed with wild abandon.

Wait.

What?

Here's what came of that inspiration and my layers of intention. Hahaha!!!

I do love when I don't follow directions—who is it that issues these directions? Who is it that disregards them!

Handsome Herringbone
3 x 3"; acrylic, ink, and collage on watercolor paper
abstract floral
2023