Everchanging directions of life

8 November 2009

Purple Layers, originally uploaded by Leah Virsik.

It’s day 8 of Art Every Day Month.  I had a fun day yesterday with the multiple art openings. Tom came out to visit me and that was really special. My piece on auction at Pro Arts was bid up again! It’s so interesting to me to hear a bit about how my work affects other people.

Life is so interesting. I cut out lots of envelopes today from wallpaper books, interoffice envelopes, catalogs, etc. So much fun. Once I look at things in an artful way, it’s difficult to call them junk or garbage. Tom’s been very helpful in helping me look at things differently.

I started these painting above, collaging and sewing 4″x6″ postcards as mail art. I’ll mail some of them out. And they’ve developed into something else, potential for a class I’d like to teach and also powerful daily art exercises. Because they started as something to go in the mail rather than a frame, the back is another interesting element that is seen as well. I’m so grateful to be doing this work. Thanks Leah Piken Kolidas for the inspiration! It feels addicting. I don’t want to stop but I’ve got a quilt to be working on and muffins to make…

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4 Comments

  1. Julie Ann Shahin
    Posted 8 November 2009 at 8:58 pm | Permalink

    I need more ways to say that I love this! Especially all the hanging threads!!!
    :)

    xoxo,
    ja

    Reply
  2. Leah
    Posted 8 November 2009 at 9:02 pm | Permalink

    Ahhh, Julie Ann. Thanks so much! I’m amazed at what comes out of me. My path has been really interesting. Paper, buttons, stitching, fabric, junk mail and art and math are all converging. The daily practice is what makes a difference.

    Reply
  3. linda
    Posted 9 November 2009 at 2:21 am | Permalink

    Wow, beautiful piece. I really love the colors, very cool!

    Reply
  4. ELK
    Posted 10 November 2009 at 4:43 am | Permalink

    the raveling is the most telling part…lovely

    Reply

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  • Artist statement

    I’m hungry to learn and it’s through my process of creating that I’m ultimately satisfied. I’m curious about different materials and take on the challenge to incorporate what I’m most drawn to into my work. I’m intrigued to discover the resulting patterns and repetition. As I create, I explore my inner landscape. I’m attempting to uncover a stifled sound. It’s my challenge to express this internal voice through my art and ultimately, boldly, out loud.

    My quest to connect my voice with my work has led me to reexamine my personal history. The threads in my bookbinding and in my collage are entwined in my familial roots. Growing up, I remember a quilt frame my dad made, taking up our entire living room. His grandmother taught him to quilt using scraps of clothing. Years later, I began a quilt when a friend was teaching a class on patchwork. To my surprise, cutting up fabric and piecing it back together reminded me of my work with paper collage.

    As a child I would sew with my mom and what I most remember is the guilt I’d feel as I jammed up her machine. Now, when the threads and material bunch up they become useful fodder for my work. In some ways the threads act as a binding element, as in my books, and in other ways they are a reflection of my internal processes.