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"Happiness always looks small when you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and at once you learn how big and precious it is."
Maxim Gorky

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

mis·take məˈstāk/...

So I was thinking about this word a lot lately and looked it up for a proper definition.
Here's what I found...
noun
  1. 1.
    an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong.
    "coming here was a mistake"
    synonyms:errorfaultinaccuracyomissionslipblundermiscalculation,misunderstandingoversight, misinterpretation, gaffefaux pas,solecismMore
verb
  1. 1.
    be wrong about.
    "because I was inexperienced, I mistook the nature of our relationship"
    synonyms:misunderstandmisinterpret, get wrong, misconstruemisread More

  2. There are many times in life that we here the expression
  3. "I made a mistake"
  4. or 
  5. "that was a mistake"
  6. In my wanderings through a creative life I have found many times that I might make these same
  7. statements...until now, when I looked up the actual definition.
  8. Lets look at the first one, the noun.
  9. 'an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong'.
  10. Well I can strike that one off since I don't think artistic endeavours can be misguided or wrong.
  11. They are experiments.
  12. I have been experimenting a lot lately on the science of botanical alchemy or eco printing or 
  13. eco dying...whatever you want to call it.
  14. Printing on small swatches has given me much insight into the process, which
  15. is really what creativity is all about.
  16. Eucalyptus print, not so bold and defined as I had hope but lets make some
  17. lemonade out of lemons...
  18. I find that if something is not quite what I had hoped for, I will let it sit...
  19. Somewhere where I glance at it every once in a while until it speaks to me...
  20.  ...of what it can become...
    Like this other piece that became a wee pouch...

  21.  Incorporating an old zipper I had lying around for years that fit perfectly and
    then lined with some vintage velvet I had in my fabric stash...
  22. How about this... 
  23. A little arrowhead I found at the beach the other day, the tip broken off.
  24. Possibly it was done in the making and the maker tossed it thinking it to be a 'mistake'.
  25. Not so!
  26. I the fortunate one who found it all these years later!
  27. A delight indeed!
  28. The second definition could be discussed at length...
  29. we may leave that for another time though.
  30. Be happy in your experiments...they will always teach you something.

5 comments:

Acornmoon said...

Less of a mistake more of a happy accident I would say. I love the way you have enhanced some areas and left others be.

Happy Easter to you. x

Jacquie said...

I'm doing that right now with knitting. I'm gearing up for projects to enter in the county fair. It's something I've always wanted to do. Speaking of, I just made a beautifully lined hat with my handspun. I dyed the outside a great moss green. The inside a natural tan and so soft. My own design. Mistake? It's the size of a washtub. Meant to cover my stepson's enormous head no doubt.

Sigh...

Cobalt Violet said...

I love this post (and the pouch!) No mistakes, just experiments and all part of the process and artistic exploration!
Hope you had a happy Easter! :)

Terriea Kwong said...

Exactly! Sometimes just like contact printing, first sight you may not like but after sometime you find it good then do something with it, it turns out so lovely. The pouch is pretty with stitches and knots. Love it.

Anonymous said...

I gave several felted purses for Christmas gifts. :) Your art is beautiful.