Dream Catchers - or Not

Dreams are a vital part of my creative life.  I may wake up with an image, an object, or even a process that I bring into the studio with me.

Two Nets
Wire, pulp, encaustic, collage
©2011NanciHersh

The wire and pulp paper sculptures I am currently working on as part of my Inherently Found Series  are from a nocturnal muse as well.  These "nets" are a metaphor for what we catch, or what attaches itself to us as we move through life.

Shadow of drying Net

Presently, it is the process I am loving.  Dipping the wire mesh into a bucket of over beaten flax pulp repeatedly, and hanging them out to dry is like "wax on, wax off" of Karate Kid 1.

My nets are not the dreams catchers of Native American lore, and they may not keep away the nightmares, but they are certainly a way of noticing the moments of quiet and tranquility that can still be found in my life.

Parting Shots of Summer...

Back to school, a cool late summer night and transition from the days of summer to fall, school and getting back into a routine.

In addition to my intensive and powerful week at Pura Vida in Costa Rica, I had an opportunity to study with a gifted and powerful sculptor, blacksmith, and teacher, Pamela Wallace at the Women's Studio Workshop in Rosendale, NY. Here are shots from my week with 5 other artists from NY, NJ, MA, and VT. It was a week of lots of great information from Pamela about soldering, and welding, with Chris Petrone, Studio Manager of WSW working with us in the papermaking aspect of the week.Now to put what I have learned into place back in my studio.

I was out clipping the wire from our Invisible Fence flags to use in some sculptures. (always the Hunter and Gatherer!) Which brings me to the new addition to our family... Dini (as in Houdini) da Wahine Dight! Dini is our Black Lab Mix that was rescued from a local shelter then fostered by Tree Tops Rescue in Landenberg, PA. Check them out - to find a wonderful pet of your own! We are all in love! http://www.treetopsrescue.org/

Oh... and another new addition to our home is my birthday gift from my dear friend and renowned artist- Pegge Hopper. I was surrounded by Pegge's beautiful paintings during my years in Hawaii when I managed her art gallery in Honolulu. Now one of her paintings graces our home and I continue to be amazed by her sense of color, design and draftsmanship... Pegge has truly been a mentor and friend for many years and I continue to "hear her voice" in my head as I work in my studio in PA (which is WAY TOO FAR from Hawaii for this wahine! http://www.peggehopper.com/

Confession

I have a confession to make... I have been making these knives, forks, and spoons out of wire, heavily beaten plant fibers like flax and abaca, and then encaustic (wax). I am also doing drawings of cutlery as well. ... and I don't know what the heck I am going to do with them. I kind of know why I am using this imagery- my Nana Rose left me her sterling silver cutlery when she passed in 1984, and I certainly don't eat with them that often. But I started thinking about what gets passed down through generations and what we do with that "stuff" be it possessions, family traditions, family secrets, and genetic predispositions - like my BRCA 2 gene for breast cancer.

I would feel guilty melting the silver down for sculpture, and I am not ready to sell them so I see them as some sort of connection to my past, making something in the present, something fragile, etheral, skeletal... but what to do with them... heck I just don't know.

Clearing Out

It is hard to believe that today is already January 24th - 2008! Time is such a curious element in our lives. This week I have been up at Brearely High School and the kids are doing some wonderful monoprints - and what is great is that some of them, most of them are actually admitting that they LIKE their own work! Talk about life as a mirror! When I think about all the negative self talk I can admit to about my own studio practices at times, it is enlightening to see in others how destructive a habit that is. And where does that come from???? I have an appointment this afternoon with Joy Principe, a former yoga teacher of mine and a life coach who does this new practice using the The Rubenfeld Synergy Method. I am signing up for a 3 session package as a New Year's present to myself. I am curious to see what issues and emotions my body is holding on to so I can begin this new year and new adventure with an open heart.

Image above: Danielle Denson's Paper Prayer (Linocut Text to be added....)

In addition to teaching, I made time for myself in my studio- though I actually did this in my laundry room- dipping my wire cutlery into a 5 gallon bucket of heavily beaten abaca and flax pulp. As you can see I hung the wet and dripping pieces from an exposed pipe in the laundry room- dripping into a bucket- and sometimes on the floor when Thunder, my pet rabbit decided to play with the bucket! The pieces dried fairly quickly- with the help of a dehumidifier placed in the room. I will down load some of those pictures later. I also spent some time printing a silk aquatint collograph plate that I had made several months using an image that has been in my mind for quite some time. The first two proofs needed some work which I have since gone back into, and will print that again tomorrow.