And so it was when, earlier this summer, I saw the call for the second annual 6x8 Exhibition at the (Japanese) Paper Store on Queen Street. The idea is that the first 200 people who come in and ask for one of their numbered pieces of identical 6x8 inch handmade washi paper (white, heavyweight, raw edges) get one to take away, make into something or put something on, and bring it back by September 1. The results are then displayed in the store in September.
Here's the call for submissions:
http://www.thepaperplace.ca/wp/2011/06/07/call-for-submissions-6x8-an-exhibition-at-the-paper-place/
So I thought ... why not? And ... I wonder if I could do something worthy of submitting? The call encouraged artists to focus on the paper (it being a paper store and all) and so I thought of qulling. Now back in October when I did that crazy ten days ten crafts binge, I tried quilling, which I hadn't done in years, or much ever. Quilling is taking strips of paper and curling them and them shaping them into pictures.
Here's a fabulous example of a great artist doing some quilling:
http://en.paperblog.com/jitesh-patel-quilling-artist-51265/
Ok quilling it was going to be, on my piece of 6x8 washi. What paper to cut up and actually curl? I thought back to an earlier trip to Value Village where I piced up an old dictionary, you know the kind where the pages are a little trasparent, kind of a rice paper? Yeah, that. OK, I liked that idea, cutting up the dictionary pages to quill so that you could see the words, not legible but visible, on the paper. I don't know why I thought to try a picture of a face, but I did. And then that turned into a picture of my mom's face. Using the dictionary to depict her is especially meaningful as she loved language, reading, had been a teacher, and an avid (if not strategic) scrabble player.
So I toiled away at the coffee table one night with an exacto blade and my favourite metal ruler and cut away strips of wordy paper. Then I curled them around the thin end of a paintbrush, and slowly filled out a light simple sketch of my mom's face. I did the big features first, and then later cut shorter plain white strips from the edges of some pages to fill in the skin. I had been less than careful, shall we say, with the glue and lots showed around the outside when it dried. Thankfully I had made it on a practice piece of the 6x8 paper, so I cut the shape out and glued it onto the official numbered piece.
I didn't make it to the little reception last night, but today I stopped by the store and saw all the pieces displayed. Including mine. I met my goal - I was happy enough with it to not be embarassed to see it amongst many artists pieces. And so there's my mom, hanging in the show.
If you have a chance, I really encourage you to go by the store and see all the submissions. There are some truly lovely pieces, and the variety is really fun and creative. I am in awe of the delicate and compelling painting ones.
What's my next project???
