Riding the Waves of an Artistic Sea-Change

"Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange."

The Tempest; William Shakespeare 

It has been a strange couple of weeks here on the Lost Coast.  I'll address the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in a later post as that monumental event impacted the coast of California in its own way.  For now, I'll stick to some studio news.

Something grand and mysterious and not quite definable has been brewing for months now. Sometimes, I have been impatient, trying to force all the swirling ideas into solid reality that I can then organize and analyze.  This, of course, backfires and results in long periods of inactivity.  And sometimes, I am able to just let go and get out of my own way.  When I finally take a breath and examine what materializes on the journal page or canvas, I am surprised, perplexed, excited, scared.  I want to ride the waves of this sea-change but I am often held back by old thought patterns.  I am compelled to know "why" and "how" and "what"; I'm not very good at just letting things develop in their own time and way.

Here's what I've been able to pin down so far:

• I'm losing interest in long, drawn-out "confessional" journaling.  I feel satisfied in that department, like I've said all I need to say to myself.
• My imagination is starting to assert itself more often and more confidently.  I feel stuffed full of characters who are demanding to be known.
• While I still in love with paint, I am falling equally hard for fabric.
• I've always thought that my leading sense was sight but I'm discovering that more and more, I am driven by the sense of touch.
• I'm longing for slow, leisurely projects, things that become like soft kitties who snuggle up for warmth and leave behind love.
• I am still firmly rooted in my bright palette; that particular aspect of my work remains steadfast.
• Previous mediums that I adored and then left behind are generating renewed interest.

Where will this all lead?  I've tried to visualize where I will wash ashore after all this upheaval but in truth, I haven't a single clue.  And I suppose, that's what magic is really all about.