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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Word For My Year

Stretch, or S..T...R....E.....T......C.......H! My husband thinks stretching can cure anything. Sneezing? Try an upward dog yoga pose. Back hurt? He can cure that with a quick hamstring move. Bad day at the office? Roll over to your tummy and curl into a sun salutation. You get the picture.
So what will I do if I find myself in an artistic slump? Stretch, of course, stretch. This stylized landscape was an exercise in "stretching" and was my first large commission, completed in 2006. Measuring 79x54", the triptych took three months to complete and is the only piece of fiber art in my client's collection. They "stretched" their definition of art just as I stretched my traditional approach to landscapes. This piece represents a moment of change in my artistic development, and I appreciate it more now than ever.
My goal this year is to continue stretch artistically. I want to stretch myself in the studio by creating more large scale artwork. I want to stretch myself intellectually by reading books on my shelf that have been waiting for my attention since my college years. I want to stretch myself spiritually by looking beyond the obvious solutions to daily challenges and finding the meaning in my life and work. And, I want to stretch physically. Every day. Even if it hurts.

4 comments:

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

Great word, Vivika! I picked a word too; this year I'll be dancing - in all aspects of life.

Unknown said...

Terrific word to start and end the year on. I think we all should do a little stretching.

Anonymous said...

This is beautiful!... and great word. And here are the dimensions for you for Ben's bed. Talk about STRETCHING...57" x 45½" outside dimensions, approx six inches thick.

Diane Wright said...

That's a great word to choose! Mind if I "appropriate" your word? Okay, adopt would probably be a better term. My word was "work in progress". And, yes, I DO realize it's a phrase...but I was s t r e t c h i n g too ;^)

It's always interesting to read your points of view. Thanks for sharing.

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