I just took a couple of weeks off, to acknowledge that it’s summer, and I realized a few things.

First: I always miss making art, even when I’m trying not to. It’s a key part of exercising my brain. What I really wanted a break from was the structure that I impose on my art as a business and quasi-day job. Removing my regular to-do items and a few meetings felt great. Also: Too much structure means no time for fun! I was relegating fun and random techniques to a small part of the end of the day. That’s not enough. Finally: surprise and variety are a big part of who I am, AND of my process. I’ve been denying that reality, and want to fold it into anything I make.

So, for a couple of weeks, I didn’t make art purposefully. But I did do some thinking, and tried things outside my normal realm. One artist I’ve been inspired by is Ellen Ribbe, who posts on BlueSky. Thinking of the journal entries she shares there, I scribbled on some pages in an old encyclopedia. Having the text to start me off takes the pressure off — no blank page staring at me.

Then, a friend forwarded a technique for sun prints using turmeric — interesting colour, right up my alley! We had almost all the supplies, and were surrounded by decent blooms. Our results were a blast to try, but in the end, almost non-existent. I have ideas for another round…

And a YouTube rabbit hole led me back to a great idea for collage details: Spirograph! Wow, the physical memory of whipping those plastic disks around, keeping the teeth lined up. They remind me of the geometric elements I’ve been using as layers — wouldn’t they work well as a detail in either analog or digital work? I have a mission to make a bunch, scan a bunch, and have some fun with it.

I think there is a continuum, from routine to distractions, and I was leaning too far into the structured side. Let’s see if I can keep myself somewhere in the middle, with fun and novelty readily available. Maybe not worrying about the “real” work as much: could that be a permanent change? Well, nothing like an experiment — I’m always up for that. Care to join me?