Sunday, February 19, 2012

Abstinence from the Needle

Many of you would not like the idea of interrupting their needlework for months. I did, because I needed a change. I needed to paint. And I don't know where to put all the stuff I produce! I give away some of it, but some things just don't seem to find a new owner. And when projects take too long, they start boring me beyond all bearing. Sometimes, the cure is to hide a piece from myself, then, after years, dig it out again and see it as a new project. You might remember my Josef Albers project. The next one will be a free variation on his motif, but more variegated in color. They might remind of Mondrian's Victory Boogie Woogie. There is no plan or sketch -- I just let it grow. This is a risk for the composition of the finished thing, but I cannot work in a different way. The colors will tell me where they would like to sit and in what company. Stitching is quite fast, I work with both hands. I never make sketches. My inner commander seems to think that a sketch does the task, so once it is done, no more work is needed.

Update shows the colors I picked for the project.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

The Ice is Melting

A sudden jump in temperatures to balmic 7° C/ 45° F has stopped the ice fun. You can see how mighty the ice layer was -- up to 10" during the coldest days! Last weekend, almost a million people walked on the ice of the Alster, an artificial lake in the middle of our town. Everyone seemed to be crazy about a walk on ice, you can see them here. 300 people had to get medical treatment after falling on the slippery surface. 60 shops offered hot wine, gloves and burgers. We abstained from this folly.
The birds seem to be hopeful, their voices sound different. Did you notice that they change their songs, when spring comes nearer?