The Late Bloomer
As an artist, I am a late bloomer. It was not until I was well into my fifties that I began to create with needle and thread. There had been inklings in earlier years…when I was a child, my mom taught me to sew, and over the years I spent many hours making clothes, curtains, pillows, and other homewares. During my teens and early twenties, there were short bursts of knitting and crocheting. About fifteen years ago, I toyed with drawing for a few months, but then dropped it as life moved on and I got busy with other activities. I love to paint...walls, that is. I've painted every wall in every room of my home at least twice. Maybe three times. For a while, I even painted small wooden objects and Altoid boxes, for no apparent reason.
But a few years ago, I began to embroider for the first time, and I have been astounded at the pleasure it gives me and what I create with needle and thread. It's as if a fountain of creativity was just beneath the surface, waiting to be tapped. The basic design "occurs" to me (coming from who-knows-where), and then other elements show up, bit by bit, until the picture is complete. Now that embroidering is an essential part of my life, I have once again picked up the pencil to develop my drawing skills. Although some of my embroidered designs are freehand, I draw most of them first and then transfer them to cloth.
After a lifetime of being guided almost exclusively by the left side of my brain (in my day job I own and operate a secretarial service - lots of proofreading and editing), my other side is blossoming, and I have come to an understanding about art. Art is a way of expressing your version (and vision) of the world through physical objects that you make with your hands in one way or another. The way it comes out, in whatever medium, is thoroughly your own and reflects your inner world. It doesn't matter if what you create doesn't match anyone else's concept of art. However you do it, your art is your expression of what's important to you.
And this is mine. I hope you enjoy what you see.
Julie
But a few years ago, I began to embroider for the first time, and I have been astounded at the pleasure it gives me and what I create with needle and thread. It's as if a fountain of creativity was just beneath the surface, waiting to be tapped. The basic design "occurs" to me (coming from who-knows-where), and then other elements show up, bit by bit, until the picture is complete. Now that embroidering is an essential part of my life, I have once again picked up the pencil to develop my drawing skills. Although some of my embroidered designs are freehand, I draw most of them first and then transfer them to cloth.
After a lifetime of being guided almost exclusively by the left side of my brain (in my day job I own and operate a secretarial service - lots of proofreading and editing), my other side is blossoming, and I have come to an understanding about art. Art is a way of expressing your version (and vision) of the world through physical objects that you make with your hands in one way or another. The way it comes out, in whatever medium, is thoroughly your own and reflects your inner world. It doesn't matter if what you create doesn't match anyone else's concept of art. However you do it, your art is your expression of what's important to you.
And this is mine. I hope you enjoy what you see.
Julie
