Monday, September 26, 2011

My Favorite Art Tool

Seth Apter has a recent post about artists' favorite tools. That got me to thinking about mine.



My intention is not to get all new-agey here, but to really distill what I'm thinking and doing when I'm creating.

I do love working with all sorts of different materials:  fabric, beads, paint, glue, scissors, paper, etc.

I can't choose a favorite medium; therefore, I can't choose a favorite art tool.  Except for my hands.

When I'm painting, I don't use my eyes to see if paint is dry, I use my hands (often to find out the paint wasn't close to being dry.  I spread glue (and often paint) with my fingers.  It's the best way for me to know if I'm using the right amount.

Did I add enough texture to a piece?  My hands will be able to tell me quickly whether more is needed or if I have gone too far.

There are so many materials I get to touch over the course of a day in the studio.  My fingers tell me what they crave.  Will it be a beading day?  Will gluing satisify me?  Am I hungry for fabric and softness, or do I need to spread paint on boards.  The hands know the answer quicker than the eye.

Today, the hands need to do some typing and affixing price tags onto about 30 pieces ready to go into a new shop.   They are happy enough to do so, but I think they are calling for some glue.  And I think they are craving the feel of my vintage wooden letter stamps.

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Thanks to everyone who responded to my last post.  It is very encouraging to know that there are still bloggers out there, especially ones that actually come here and leave a comment.

4 comments:

Corinne said...

I don't have a blog, but I certainly follow yours :-)

Susan said...

Take care of those hands. I can say there are many times that I started off using a tool only to go back and use my hands.

I cannot wait till I am able to use both hands freely.

jason said...

It's a cliche, but the hand is the best tool of all. I'm notorious for using mine to paint....I tend to be messy, but it gets the job done. :)

Dana Barbieri said...

yes, I love that, sometimes I crave yarn, sometimes paper and paint.