More Square Than Ever

For some reason, "everyone" has been asking what I'm working on lately. It seems that when I am not actually working on a piece, I more often asked what I'm working on. I'M NOT WORKING ON ANYTHING. So they say, "Oh, so you're just playing around?"

O.K. I'm just playing around. Having a great deal of fun. Really. I'm making little squares. Cutting 3.5" squares and then stamping them. If I make a mistake, all I have to do is toss a small square in the trash. I have carved a few simple stamps, but my favorite activity involves kid's sticky-backed foam.

I went to Michael's this week to pick up some supplies (why do they cost so much money?), and ended up with a package of obnoxiously colored sticky-backed foam. Why, I could cut this into little shapes and stick them onto small squares of foam board. Could this be easier? Not unless I had magic scissors. Here are just a handful of the foam board stamps I have made.

I also purchased two sheets of stamp-carving material. I traced a few circles, carved them in just a few minutes time, and was stamping happily all afternoon. What else can I do to simplify? Perhaps just paint the bottoms of my feet and use them for stamps?

This all feels so elementary. My six-year-old daughter could do this. Actually, she was in my studio learning how to use stamp-carving tools the other day. No bandaids were necessary. Don't think she is ready for the Exact-o knife yet. Not sure I am either. Maybe I should simplify further and banish scissors. Use my teeth for tearing things. There is only so far I can go back to basics before I attempt to complicate things again. I will try to refrain a bit longer from deciding how to put these squares together (IF I decide to put them together) and just play some more.