As part of one of my assignments for the Experimental Art E-course, I was supposed to "with wild abandon...splot, splat, drip, dribble, press, stamp, wipe, dab across whole pages in your sketchbook."
Well, for some reason this morning....maybe because Friday's a day for folly...I decided to use that old stained shirt I took from Jim's closet to use for my improvisational summer embroidery...
And use it as my sketchbook...
And this is what happened...
I think I got the wild abandon part...And I used some improv wisdom too...using tools I had on hand in the kitchen like a mushroom brush, a basting brush, a straw, a back scratcher (everybody has one of those in their kitchen, I'm sure of it...)...and no plan whatsoever. I had a ball flicking, splatting, pouring and dripping.
And now I have a shirt that I still intend to embroider all over. But, boy, I'm not sure if it's going to look completely stupid or totally cool. Jack put his two cents in and thinks I should donate it to a clown. I think his vote counts for "stupid"...
I'm still undecided. It really does look cooler in person, I swear. But I can't help but imagine myself wearing one of those rainbow clown wigs...with the shirt...and I can see Jack's point. Oh well, time will tell...
On another bright note, I was very ExCITEd that Patricia Ryan Madson, the author of Improv Wisdom commented on my last blog post and that we connected. That was definitely cool. AND, she has a blog! Check it out.
She was very generous and offered to send me an autographed copy of her book for my giveaway. That means I can pick TWO folks to receive a book. And the Random Number Generator chose numbers 2 and 9 -- that's Carol S and Catherine!! Send me your addresses please ladies. And I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on the book once you've read it.
Speaking of reading, here's my Summer book pile...
I'd love to hear what you're reading this Summer?
Now that I've got wild abandon on the brain...I should probably add one of those hot, steamy romances to the pile. (Any suggestions?)
I like that phrase...wild abandon...
So I googled it. It means surrendering to your impulses. Send in the clown.
19 comments:
oh quit clowin' around and tell us what jack really said!
personally i can't wait to see this shirts progress!
I think your shirt is GOING to be awesome!
but right now it's a mess;)
the more you do to it the better it will get remember this is only the first layer!
Oh, I love the paint splatters! Just curious, how did you protect the surroundings? I always get paint everywhere when I pull the paint out, so I don't do it very often anymore.
Regarding reading, well that's right up my alley!
For wild and abandoned summer book, for you, I recommend Susan Elizabeth Phillips "This Little Heart of Mine."
I am currently reading "Paris To The Moon" by Adam Gopnik, and several back issues of Victoria magazine, generously passed along by my mom.
I love the shirt and can't wait to see where you go next with it! If you layer it anything like your Alice project, it will be fanastic!
How exciting that the author contacted you! I'm going to check out her blog next. I couldn't believe it when I saw my name!! Thank you so much! Congrats to Carol S. as well!
Looks like a party to me! Looking forward to seeing it all "deckyated" up Susan-style. Have fun with your ensemb-maybe the wig might be a little over the top. Get it? Wig. Over the top. I just crack myself up sometimes.
You should attach long flowing ribbons in all those same colors and wear the shirt when you ride you bike or run like the winds...or just whirl around with wild abandonment.... I checking to see if I can get any of those book as audios..
Gerry K...
I love that summer shirt of yours and can see it if you embroider large stitches all over and add a flower or two. I bet there are people who like to wear it on the beach...Didn't you have a few young nieces?
Love the header of the blog too, summer all over:)
Stitching is such a fine control activity it will be fascinating to see you Stitching with Wild Abandon...!
Absolutely LOVE the hand shot!!
OMGosh!! Gerry has the perfect idea. Be sure someone is following behind to get pics!!
Last night I took The Starlite Drive-In by Marjorie Reynolds from the shelf.
I need to get the book that tells me wild abondon is OK. That is a tough sell.
Did you make a handprint somewhere before you washed it, I hope? Can't wait to see you stitch with wild abandon which sounds good to me after a morning of 1/4 inches seams that were supposed to be straight! Have you thought of knitting with wild abandon also? Next on my list is Racing in the Rain, but I've been entertaining myself with Mrs. Polifax mysteries...
I love Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet! Great story!!
I'm reading 19 Minutes by Jodi Piccoult right now. Its pretty tough, but I think that's because the story is hitting too close to home. I'm struggling through it. Have you ever read Water for Elephants? Love that too (sorry, can't remember the author)
The shirt makes me chuckle - but knowing your talents, you will transform that circus act into a Broadway production!!
I LOVE the shirt, can't wait to see what embroidery you do on it.
The swirls of paint on your hand... my first thought "oh that looks so pretty I love it". LOL.
I'm sorry I missed your book giveaway, would have loved to have won either of them. Congratulations to the two ladies that won though, I'll bet they are thrilled!
Oh KEEP On GOING!!!!!! this is going to be absolutely fabulous- i love it, love it!!! this is the kind of shirt that I LOVE to wear!!
That is quite a reading pile!! I am having a very hard time finding a book that I can hang tough with- nothing is grabbing my atteniton- perhaps I should try bitter and Sweet!!!
Keep us posted on the shirt!! You are a an absolute riot!!!!
I love the paint colors you chose for your shirt project. This one's going to be fun.
I've been reading a lot of different things this summer, but recently added Flaubert's Madame Bovary to the list. I like to re-read an old favorite every now and then.
Enjoy your Sunday!
Love that painted hand! The shirt will be such fun to play around with. Remember, you can always cut the shirt up into interesting pieces and put them back together in even more interesting ways!
I think that the shirt looks great and with wild abandon embroidery on it I have no doubt that it will be something you will enjoy wearing. One of those pieces that just make you smile when you put it on and we all need some of those. Makes me want to make a shirt too. MMMMMMM........
The Colours on the shirt are so bright and fun!!! Do we all need to assume that you have to wear it when it's done? Maybe you will stuff it!
As to the back scratcher in the kitchen - that made me laugh! Mine has been there for years, with all the other big utensils - it's the perfect place!!! And now I also know I'm not the only one!
Cheers, Denise
Wild Abandon was the name of the garden at the last place I lived. Suited as the weeds grew faster than anything else, lol. Love your blog, was directed by craft gossip, I love the ecclesiastical needlework as I have done a fair bit of it.
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