3 Minute Artist Talk January 22 2010

Little Spaces

It seems that in my busy daily juggle I find little "spaces" to fill my creative side - whether its exploring books on the library shelves or listening to jazz music. These spaces help to balance my intense need to create but nothing replaces this act other than doing itself. This time of year for many marks its days with cleaning out our houses, setting resolutions for the year, and plans for yourself and your family. I add to this list my career goals which can seem a bit overwhelming but by writing them down seems to solidify them even without having to reexamine what they were in the first place. I do want to clean my studio, continue to organize and orient myself so I can locate things among my large art material collection, found objects, old photographs and fiber elements. However, this will have to wait a little longer. I need to get messy, put my ideas to paper, draw, turn on the wax and gather my creative juices for a productive and rich artistic year. I am excited to share with you via my blog what I have been up to. I have set some goals and as the time passes I will reveal how i am doing on them --- more to come! Anyhow, in my studio I am in the beginning stages of a few projects. One is a collaborative project with a group called New England Wax which I am a member of where we are doing a paper exchange project of four pieces. I am working on a series of paper encaustic pieces that plays off the quote, "If I only knew now what I knew then________." I am using views of domestic objects and their relationship to mundane household chores juxtaposed with childhood propos that symbolize play, freedom, and a place to escape to adventures. I am also pulling together another series that focuses on my continued fascination of the area of land located just North of Bucksport, Maine, the blueberry barrens of Frankfort, Prospect and Winterport. These works will take form in both encaustic and oil. And the last project I am beginning is a small works collection for beginning collectors of works on paper that are small in scale, and affordable in price. They will be examinations of my everyday - more to come. And of course, more BIRDWORKS to come too! By popular demand there will be more to see of these at the upcoming Teenie Tiny Show at Three Graces Gallery in Portsmouth, NH in mid-February. And if you haven't stopped by to Maine Cottage Furniture in Yarmouth lately, you'll now see more of my BIRDWORKS collection there. Happy New Year!

New Beginnings

Aren't we all pleased to have a new year to unfold and stretch into! I am for sure. Cleaning and sorting and planning. Here's a little piece on me for the University of Maine at Augusta's webpage. Enjoy! http://www.uma.maine.edu/helenefarrar.html