My Wabi-Sabi Radiator

When inclement weather moves my lunch time walk indoors, I like to utilize an out-of-the-way stairway in the three-story building where I work. My routine goes something like this: 44 steps down, turn around, 44 steps up, lap around the atrium, 44 steps down, turn around, 44 steps up, lap around the atrium. You get the idea. I do as many repetitions as time allows. If it sounds kind of monotonous, it is. 

Except for my little wabi-sabi radiator. Situated between the 44 steps down and the 44 steps up, is an ordinary steam radiator with a corroded valve in the most extraordinary shades of turquoise. Since turquoise is my favorite color, seeing that little blue-green burst of color in an otherwise drab and dingy stairwell while trudging (I mean sprinting) up and down the stairs makes my heart happy. It’s true. That little radiator makes me smile. It greets me on every journey up and down the stairs and reminds me that beauty can be found in unexpected places.

As I mentioned in the last post, I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately. In the book, Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designer, Poets and Philosophers, author Leonard Koren describes the ancient Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi in this way:

“Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
It is a beauty of things modest and humble.
It is a beauty of things unconventional.”

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about wabi-sabi lately and I think this radiator totally fits the bill. It’s humble, modest, and imperfect. There’s an entire colony of dust mites camped out there. The pipe leading to the valve is a hot mess of chipped paint and rust. Yet, I think it’s beautiful, and finding beauty in a corroded turquoise valve could very well be considered unconventional. Right? Once I recognized the wabi-sabiness of the radiator, I pulled out my phone and snapped a couple of pictures. You know, just in case I ever needed to remember that particular shade of turquoise. 

That was on Friday.

Today, I was shocked and horrified to discover that someone had come along and spray painted the valve on the radiator sometime during the weekend!!! With a single spritz of white paint from an aerosol can, some well-meaning maintenance worker had changed, and possibly destroyed, the subtle beauty of my little wabi-sabi radiator. Plus…it’s not even a good paint job! I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse. I only know that today I feel sad and disappointed. And I know that today I understand the meaning of wabi-sabi a little bit better. Today I understand the impermanent part. And I know—without a shadow of a doubt—that because it’s beauty was impermanent, that ordinary/extraordinary humble, modest, imperfect, little radiator really did embody the spirit of wabi-sabi for me. And now it’s gone.

I usually make notes whenever I’m reading a book to record the thoughts or ideas I might want to remember or refer to in the future. This is what I notated from the book mentioned above:

“Beauty is a dynamic event that occurs between you and something else. Beauty can spontaneously occur at any moment given the proper circumstances, context, or point of view. Beauty is thus an altered state of consciousness, an extraordinary moment of poetry and grace.”

I hope you find moments of poetry and grace in the world around you. And when you do, be sure to enjoy them for whatever time they last.

Buried in Books

Maybe it's the change in weather or the change of seasons, but lately I find myself buried in books. I love that I can go online and request books that are delivered right to my local library for pick up. This is just part of my current stash and it includes books about seaside cottages, collage, journaling, gardening, artists books, textiles, quilting, home decor, and flea markets--just to name a few. I'm a true non-fiction junkie. Sometimes I read them cover to cover, and sometimes I just look at the photos. I often renew the books I have over and over and over while picking up new ones several times a week.

This one by Austin Kleon is a real gem. You can check it out here. It's a quick read filled with a lot of inspiration and practical advice about getting busy and making stuff. Plus, it's filled with a lot of hand lettering and you just have to love that!

Since this post is about books, I thought I'd share a photo of Pilgrim which was on display at a library (of all places) during the month of October. Two glass cases were filled with altered books as part of the Octavofest celebration in my fair city. I managed to attend several events, as well as celebrate the book and paper arts in my own way--with my nose buried in a huge stack of books. Happy reading!

List It Tuesday - I Am a Sucker for...

...all of the above!

But apparently not for adhering to schedules. Once again, here is my Tuesday list presented on Thursday. Hop on over to artsyville to view a plethora of fun and creative lists.

List It Tuesday – 15 Minute Creativity

I often use my lunch hour at work to practice the topic of this week’s List It Tuesday challenge. It feels good to squeeze a little creativity into the day--wherever, or whenever possible. Today I was able to work on the list AND execute numbers 1 through 4 to create this little masterpiece.

Yes, I DO keep googley eyes in my desk drawer at work. You never know when you might need to entertain yourself.

Scribbliscious

I’ve recently discovered the fine art of scribbling. 

It’s fun. It’s easy. It’s relaxing. It’s liberating. It fills up a page rather quickly.

 

Scribbling words makes a bold statement.

 

I love including my hands in a journal. Here I’ve used a layered scribbling technique.

 

If you haven’t scribbled for a while, you should give it a whirl. Be bold. Be free. Be scribbliscious.

List It Tuesday - Things That Make Me Nostalgic

I'm so happy that Aimee at artsyville has brought back the fun and fabulous List It Tuesday. I had a blast posting my lists the first time around, and I'm delighted to be able to join in again. So what if it's already Thursday? Here's my list of things that make me nostalgic. Thanks Aimee for prompting this little trip down memory lane!

What a Nice Surprise

Look what showed up in my mailbox the other day. Published? What? I didn’t submit anything for publication. I was momentarily stunned and confused, but ultimately curious. 

 

I ripped into the plastic protector and quickly flipped through this newest issue of Art Journaling Magazine looking for something familiar. It wasn’t until I flipped through the second time that I found the page with my art on it.

The magazine reprinted a page from my Rejectamenta Journal that was featured in the very first issue of Art Journaling Magazine way back in 2009. Now there’s a blast from the past. It was actually because of that article that I started this Lost and Found blog. I wanted to have a web presence like all of the “cool artists” who had articles or artwork published in a magazine.

I guess it's good to take a look back once in a while and see where you started and just how far you've come. I think my lettering has come a long way since 2009. Thank you Art Journaling Magazine for a nice little surprise. Maybe it's time to submit something new and see what happens.

Making Art in the Sink

At our last get-together, Cathy showed us how to make a sink journal--a technique she learned at a recent drawing workshop.

The end result is a simple, fold-out journal with a pocket flap at the bottom for holding whatever your heart desires.

We used white paper, black sumi ink, a paintbrush, and a sink.

We painted designs on the paper, one side at a time, with the ink and a large brush.

I did spirals and circles on one side and scribbles on the other.

When the ink was semi-dry, the paper was held under running water and manipulated to allow the ink to run and spread.

Then the majority of ink was washed off and the paper hung to dry.

We seamed two pieces of paper together and folded up the bottom flap.

Then we folded it into a journal.

Simple, good clean fun!

Sinks aren't just for dishes anymore.

Keep on Walking

"If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking."  
-- Buddhist proverb

I didn’t intend to take such a long break from blogging—it just kind of happened. 2012 has turned into a year of transitions and I’ve been quietly enjoying the changes, living in the moment, and thinking about the future. At the start of the year, we decided it was time to make some changes. We’ve been working hard to improve our eating habits and to exercise regularly. We made this our top priority and have spent a LOT of time and energy walking towards this goal. We’ve tried out healthy new recipes, counted our calories, and logged countless hours and miles walking and hiking. We’ve thoroughly explored our neighborhood on foot. We’ve visited nearby parks and the many trails and paths they have to offer. We’ve spent more time together than we have in years. We’ve learned that we really enjoy being more active and setting and reaching goals together. Luckily, we also had a few major life events that really helped to keep us motivated and on track--our daughter graduated from college in May and our son got married in June. There’s nothing like the thought of shopping for a dress to keep a person motivated! We also planned a long overdue and much deserved vacation with friends in July.

While I haven't spent a lot of time blogging or making art this year, I have been walking in the right direction. Taking a step back from the familiar and exploring new directions has helped me to focus on where I'm going--both in life and in art. I still have a long way to go, but at least I know I'm headed in the right direction.

Found Type Tuesday

This sign might as well be posted on my studio door for all the time I've spent in there lately. Thank goodness for Found Type Tuesday, or I would have nothing to post at all. I DO hope to be back in action a bit later in the summer. Until then, thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Tuesday!