Carol Wiebe

I made another decision during my hiatus from blogging (first decision here). I enjoy being practical with my art, and want to focus on making artistic additions to our home. Right now, I am learning how to do mosaics. If I was smart, I’d make a coaster or two, or perhaps a coffee table top for practice. Instead, I started on a bathroom floor. Good luck getting rid of this project if it doesn’t work out. Luckily, my husband is the one breaking and grinding the pieces. I have

I make art like I live. I live artfully and create art that reflects my life. Art is at times my confessional, and sometimes a hallelujah chorus. It expresses my sorrow and my joy. At the altar of art, I lay down my fears and toss my exultations like rose petals. It teaches me about myself, and not always gently. However, I still consider it my salvation because it does not lie. It tells the truth, and I have to see it. Sooner or later. Confession In a controversy the instant

I dreamed about having one wing again last night, she said. Her voice sounded tired, even though she had just stumbled out of bed. What is that about? How can I take off with only one wing? Maybe it’s like the sound of one hand clapping, he offered. One hand clapping wouldn’t make any sound at all, would it? She felt too tired to think. That depends on what you clap against. He grinned. But I think it’s more about the potential of clapping. This caught her attention. So, if I

Sometimes, the crossroads is clear. You look one way, then the other, and have an immediate sense of which path to follow. At other times, you only know you are at a crossroads because you feel stuck, not sure which way to go, how to proceed. If you already have practices such as meditation, listening to your dreams, making art, then you become extra vigilant about discerning signs. They are cumulative, and will help you evolve your sense of direction. If you are practicing n

It’s that hunger ~ to feed, and be fed. To fill the emptiness. To satisfy the longing. Art does all of that for me. Fire in Your Belly #satisfy #belly #hunger #longing #CWWOL20110704 #Art #emptiness

I have been at a number of retreats in my life. The best ones have felt like a sanctuary, a place where art and life are held in reverence. Yes, I want to have fun, let loose, avoid being too serious when I make art, but I always hope to learn something ~ something that will help me to become a better artist, maybe even a better person. If that sounds rather high and vaunted, understand this: I went on a short holiday to the Maritimes, and found sanctuary THREE TIMES in just

I will start with the facts. I attended a workshop offered by the Southampton Art School from May 3-7, 2010.  Jeane Myers was the “instructor” of Risk in Artmaking and I was one of the enthralled three who benefited h-u-g-e-l-y from this time with Jeane. We are fortunate it even took place (for only three of us), but Sharon Barfoot (aka Zappha) made it happen, and now there are 2 more weeks of classes lined up to partake of the bounty that Jeane has to offer. The first thing

Elena Ray calls her daily work grace, because it keeps her “centered for the purpose she serves.” Her work is a grace to others as well ~ certainly to me. Her exploration of sacred symbolism is created with an elegant hand, and her intelligence is ample. She may be somewhat apostate when she makes a statement such as: The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon, though the elegant hand and the intelligence that animates it may actually be as important as the moon; and in

My second video about making Cracked Paper Quilts is now ready to view. This time, the paper top that was created in the first video becomes the top layer of my quilt sandwich. Then I begin to sew the dickens out of it. You can also view it by going to Cracked Paper Quilts 2: Stitching the Paper Sandwich on Vimeo. #quilting #art #layers #quiltsandwich #Paper #CrackedPaperQuilts #quiltlayers #Artquilt #layer #QuiltingArtsissue39 #mixedmedia #CrackedPaperQuiltsVideo #Paperquilt

Tammy Vitale, a dear and supportive blogosphere friend, is featured on MMCA Marketplace. I happened upon Tammy’s blog, Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together, and soon became a regular reader for a number of reasons. I love her work: it has wonderful energy and is very unique. Her ceramic torsos are gorgeous, as are her tiles and jewelery. And they all work together: a piece of jewelry (when it’s not being worn) might hang on the torso and a tile may continue a theme from

I have an insightful friend/artist, who asked me a very pertinent question about the poetry I write. Let me tell you that when discussing things with her, you had better be prepared for razor sharp penetration to the heart of an issue. It is one of the things I love about her. I had mentioned that I wasn’t writing much anymore, because I was so focused on quilt making. Here was her question/statement: “Surely the contemplative nature of its incubation could be a productive pa

Cyndi Lavin asked a question this morning on her blog Layers upon Layers (Now BlissTree): Do you spend time shooting elements for later use too? I had to leave a comment, which went like this: Oh my, YES! I can hardly take “ordinary” pictures any more. I’m always thinking of line, texture, shape, colour for future artwork. And like Christy (whose work I really like, by the way), I take pictures of my own work in various stages to also use in future work. It’s like the mirror

Spheres There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres.  ~Pythagoras I went shopping in Vancouver yesterday, with my husband and sister, and ended up taking many pictures in a shop that carried items like stone tables, statuary, doors, etc. The spheres caught my attention, among other things. My sister has been to this store many times, and used a number of the resulting photos in some of her collage paintings. She also buys piec

Kids don’t just go over to each others’ houses anymore; they have a play-date. Well, this Friday, my sister is coming over to begin our marathon art play-date. Being some 2500+ miles apart, this does not happen very often. So, I am VERY EXCITED about it. This is not about getting company: this isn’t the typical family visit, to catch up on family news, nor is it about business, although I’m sure she could give me a few tips. It’s about ART and the fact that we both love doing

Someone at work said this to me last week. We were talking about what’s been happening in my life as far as my artwork is concerned, and she said I should be open to whatever could happen. This may sound rather undefined to you, but there were strings within my being that vibrated with, and kept reverberating to her words. How could she know that this is a constant entreaty I make to Life: help me be open. Awake, and open. You use a glass mirror to see your face: You use work

It is quite a step to jump from doodles to passion, but I am inspired, for whatever strange reasons, to do so. I have a great passion for doing art. I am constantly drawn to others who exhibit this passion, who spend every spare moment, or, who “steal” moments from activities that others might consider more necessary, or even sacrosanct, in order to practice art. My thoughts seldom stray far from some aspect of it. Whenever I spend money, it is usually in service of art. I re

All right, so maybe it’s not a craze. I have no idea how many people are actually doing it. The ATC phenomenon seems to have reached epic proportions, and the Inchies have now hit the scene. So far, I’ve had little desire to do either, but one never knows in what form the muse will inspire next; which brings me to the work of Jane Davila, a fiber and mixed media artist, and her partner Elin Waterston. They have a new book out called Art Quilt Workbook, which Amazon describes