Living a creative life has nothing to do with what you do for a living. Because what you do for a living rarely has anything to do with the way you live.
Duane, the Ikebana piece must have been a good creative challenge for you. I see Grace (birds), Silence (wall), and Time (sky) woven into this one. The orange-red, charcoal & blue makes my retinas happy!
Thank you Ann! It was a challenge for sure, went through a few iterations for this one. I love what you see in this!! What a gorgeous description, a careful arrangement of grace, silence, and time, wow! Thank you so much for that! You just gave me an opportunity to see this piece in a whole new way!
Lovely words and work, as always. The line about doing the work to make your soul grow really resonated with me! It's a great way to explain what we're doing in the studio all of those hours where it seems like we're just sitting around!
Thanks Zelda! Yes! That’s eaxctly it! None of that time is wasted, it’s all working, all part of the process. Growth is rich, and complex. It happens slowly and often invisibly, sometimes imperceptibly, but it’s unmistakable when it blossoms.
Thanks so much Jenn! I was on a zoom call with a few fellow collage artists yesterday and one of them said that collage was their chosen language” I relate to that deeply. It’s so much easier for me to express myself in that way. Writing for me can be a struggle, but when I do write I think it is about finding comfort. It’s the solace of saying the things I need someone to say to me in the hopes that maybe someone else needs to hear it too.
I'm so glad you like them! So great to meet you! Thanks for reading and thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a comment! That means a lot to me!
Well articulated, Duane! Thank you for your words and collages— the inspiration was timely. Ikebana collage is beautiful. I love the orange flowers and the bird. Wonderful composition too.
Thanks so much! It's always great hearing from you Stella. The Ikebana piece was a bit of a challenge on a few levels: one, the theme itself, and two I wa still trying to find my footing in workign with A4. All in all though I'm happy with how it turned out. Glad you like it! Thanks again!
So glad you like "the way of flowers" ! There was almost a kind of seamlessness that really took me by surprise in it. It's teh unexpected that love the most about the process. Most of teh time I'm just as surprised by a piece as the viewer might be, lol.
Loved your Reel on IG! I totally agree! It's deep commitment and radical acceptance. As you said, its trust. Trust in the process and trust in the work itself. Madeleine L' Engle says that when the artist is the servant of the work, the work is better than the artist. I like to believe that the work knows more than I do. That it knows what it wants to become. That it knows what it wants me to be. I do my best to listen and get out of the way. Thanks again!
To keep, as someone who digs art, “the way of flowers” is significant to me. I like you being up Madeleine L' Engle—such a cool writer (Wrinkle in Time) and poet!
I had to look it up to confirm ...thank you for mentioning her in your response. Since then I read a quote that resibayed from.me since my poems come from.an emotional place--my recent one is angry actually, sobit was comforting to read this:
"Poetry, at least the kind I write, is written out of immediate need; it is written out of pain, joy, and experience too great to be borne until it is ordered into words. And then it is written to be shared.”
Yes. Thank you, Duane. Exactly what I needed to hear today. And lovely work as always! I like the way the orange flowers echo across the ikebana piece. It never occurred to me that there are parallels between flower arranging and paper arranging (collage!), but I like it!
Thanks Lisa! I needed to hear it too, believe me. So much of what is exactly that, the things that I most need to hear.
I never thoughht about there being a corrolation between flower arranging and collage, but it really does make sense. It’s something I’d like to think about more. Thanks again!
Duane, the Ikebana piece must have been a good creative challenge for you. I see Grace (birds), Silence (wall), and Time (sky) woven into this one. The orange-red, charcoal & blue makes my retinas happy!
Thank you Ann! It was a challenge for sure, went through a few iterations for this one. I love what you see in this!! What a gorgeous description, a careful arrangement of grace, silence, and time, wow! Thank you so much for that! You just gave me an opportunity to see this piece in a whole new way!
Lovely words and work, as always. The line about doing the work to make your soul grow really resonated with me! It's a great way to explain what we're doing in the studio all of those hours where it seems like we're just sitting around!
Thanks Zelda! Yes! That’s eaxctly it! None of that time is wasted, it’s all working, all part of the process. Growth is rich, and complex. It happens slowly and often invisibly, sometimes imperceptibly, but it’s unmistakable when it blossoms.
You have a way with words and images that is so pleasing and comforting. I love the flower image you created.
Thanks so much Jenn! I was on a zoom call with a few fellow collage artists yesterday and one of them said that collage was their chosen language” I relate to that deeply. It’s so much easier for me to express myself in that way. Writing for me can be a struggle, but when I do write I think it is about finding comfort. It’s the solace of saying the things I need someone to say to me in the hopes that maybe someone else needs to hear it too.
It is needed, and appreciated, thank you.
Lovely, beautiful
Thank you Patris!
Perfectly put!
Thank you Richard!!
Very much in agreement with this!
Thanks Rachel! Glad to be in good company!
In love your Ikebana piece! Captures very well the spirit and tone of the call. And thanks for the shout out!
My Pleasure Stephen! Thanks for being so generous in sending these Open Calls my way! I appreciate you!
You had me at the opening paragraph. Spot on/chef’s kiss!
Thank you so much! I was aiming that one directly at myself, haha! Glad you resonated with you too! Thanks again!
So glad I discovered your Substack through the Notes section. I love these collages and especially the Japanese inspired flower one. Beautiful!
I'm so glad you like them! So great to meet you! Thanks for reading and thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a comment! That means a lot to me!
Well articulated, Duane! Thank you for your words and collages— the inspiration was timely. Ikebana collage is beautiful. I love the orange flowers and the bird. Wonderful composition too.
Thanks so much! It's always great hearing from you Stella. The Ikebana piece was a bit of a challenge on a few levels: one, the theme itself, and two I wa still trying to find my footing in workign with A4. All in all though I'm happy with how it turned out. Glad you like it! Thanks again!
“the way of flowers” is my favorite.
I’m on IG and while we didn’t say the same thing, I felt it:
- being creative means:
• calling the shots
• owning decisions
• beholding beauty & upholding it
• trusting the process, not necessarily the outcome...rinse and repeat.
(https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4XTU1sunQr/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
So glad you like "the way of flowers" ! There was almost a kind of seamlessness that really took me by surprise in it. It's teh unexpected that love the most about the process. Most of teh time I'm just as surprised by a piece as the viewer might be, lol.
Loved your Reel on IG! I totally agree! It's deep commitment and radical acceptance. As you said, its trust. Trust in the process and trust in the work itself. Madeleine L' Engle says that when the artist is the servant of the work, the work is better than the artist. I like to believe that the work knows more than I do. That it knows what it wants to become. That it knows what it wants me to be. I do my best to listen and get out of the way. Thanks again!
To keep, as someone who digs art, “the way of flowers” is significant to me. I like you being up Madeleine L' Engle—such a cool writer (Wrinkle in Time) and poet!
I had no idea she wrote poetry! I’ll definitely have to check that out! Thanks for the heads up!
I had to look it up to confirm ...thank you for mentioning her in your response. Since then I read a quote that resibayed from.me since my poems come from.an emotional place--my recent one is angry actually, sobit was comforting to read this:
"Poetry, at least the kind I write, is written out of immediate need; it is written out of pain, joy, and experience too great to be borne until it is ordered into words. And then it is written to be shared.”
–Madeleine L’Engle
That quote is gorgeous! Hits home hard! Her writing is wonderful! So glad you found this and thanks for sharing it with me!
Love this!
Thanks so much! I’m really glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for this reminder, I enjoyed reading this ♡
My pleasure! Thanks so much for reading! That means more to me than I can say!
I believe this applies to many of us, Duane! Thanks for writing this. I’d say you nailed the collage.
Much appreciated Rod! Thanks so much for reading!
Yes. Thank you, Duane. Exactly what I needed to hear today. And lovely work as always! I like the way the orange flowers echo across the ikebana piece. It never occurred to me that there are parallels between flower arranging and paper arranging (collage!), but I like it!
Thanks Lisa! I needed to hear it too, believe me. So much of what is exactly that, the things that I most need to hear.
I never thoughht about there being a corrolation between flower arranging and collage, but it really does make sense. It’s something I’d like to think about more. Thanks again!