“Experiencing wonder enables us to believe in
the expansiveness of time, meaning, and beauty. In this openness, we often feel
that anything is possible and that we are connected to something much greater
than ourselves.” – Kaywin Feldman
Mid-week greetings! I have taken down the works in the exhibition in Sioux City and am slowly photographing them to share with a larger audience. For me, the highlight of the show was the body of work that inspired the exhibition title, The Art of Wonder. The use of the phrase "the art of wonder" was inspired by a book of that name, published by the Minneapolis Institute of Art to celebrate their anniversary....filled with photos, essays and other inspiring pieces. The quote that began this post came from that book and reminded me of the wonder, excitement and creative energy I experience when looking at works of art. My husband and I love going to museums, especially art museums, and more often than not, build our trips around them. Visiting museums reminds me of the importance of art, the way it speaks to the deepest part of our humanity, across time and culture. I am always inspired by something during a museum visit.
But, there is wonder to be found absolutely everywhere....from the way the light falls on your teacup in the morning, to the teacup itself and how it was made....the tea and how it was harvested....and where and by whom. The wonder cascades, falling over itself...picking up steam as one thing leads to another and we are filled with awe over something ordinary. In this way, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. This, of course, does not discount the many moments filled with more momentous grandeur we all experience.
Below are some of the pieces that spilled forth as I experienced the flow and joy of making during the month of January in the studio. The Art of Wonder pieces are all 8" x 8", mixed media on Japanese paper dipped in beeswax. I did them in three sets of nine pieces each and hung them in three separate grids. Below is The Art of Wonder, Suite 1, nos. 1-9, which are now all listed in my Etsy shop!
I'll share Suites 2 and 3 in the coming days, along with some of the other work that was made for that exhibition. I do hope your week has started off well. We are having some cool rainy days mixed in with the warm and sunny ones....that's spring! Enjoy your week!
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