Carol Wiebe

Creativity leaps when you work with a compatible companion. I’ve been writing lately about my experience with my sister, Barb, during a recent visit, where we created art together. As I noted in the title, creativity leaps when in the presence of a compatible companion. Ideas were shooting out of our heads like firecrackers. I’ll have more to say about that later. Previously, I had shown Barb’s ripped, cut, sewn watercolor canvas. I have included it again, below. Ripped, cut,

Yes, my sister and I are still playing. Just being together is inspiring: we speak the same art language! Let me be more specific: we get excited about similar designs and color combinations, we echo each others enthusiasm, we laugh a lot as we paint, and collage. When one of us gets an idea, the other runs with it, and we keep batting ideas back and forth like a fast game of ping-pong. Exhilarating! Our time together ends later today, when she flies home. One thing we did th

I enjoyed what Robert Genn has to say about the Zen of art. Here are some of his suggestions for practicing art this way, with my comments added, in red: Have an attitude of low expectations and nothing to lose. I think you can have a nothing to lose attitude without needing to lower your expectations. Try to make deliberate, thoughtful, rhythmic movements. This works very well. Allow yourself to dream, flow and indulge your fancies. Absolutely! Be philosophic about your w

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

That’s my ‘baby’ sister on these two quilts . . . I love this picture of her. She’s absolutely focused on, and fascinated by, the shells on the beach spread out before her. I also need to give some design credits here. A while back, I was working in my studio with my beautiful and talented niece, Jessica. Her theme was water, and we were painting fabrics. I don’t remember any more, for certain, which were hers and which were mine, but I do believe that the waves and water dro