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Return to Neutral

Artwork / December 30, 2018 / By
sheep photography

On Christmas Day we moved the ewes to stock piled forage; they are finding decent feed here and we feed hay sporadically. The rams were sorted and put out with ewes about ten days ago. Once again we sorted Jethro (Corriedale ram) to a specific lot of ewes and the remaining Clun Forest rams are with the main flock. Right now, on a day to day basis, there is more work with guardian dogs than with sheep as Birdie and Lily have both come into heat and are testy with each other. Both are being rotated through stays in the kennels.

We are at the peak of minimum daylight hours which means long dark mornings before outdoor exercise and chores even begin and long dark stretches again in the evening. Time that is filled with all the general tasks of taking care of home and persons and a string of kelpie dogs, and what time is left over, with creating and writing.

As this year closes I feel a certain calmness, a sense of returning to neutral. Return to the basics of our natural color and style and in so doing find our centre once more. A return to the calm place of simplicity without loss of personality, something I hope to take with me as we pour into the new year. Watching the sheep presents the same simplicity while exemplifying the profound personality animal and nature always possess. In the cold weather of winter watching the sheep comes in short stints and I grab it when I can – while unrolling hay, while waiting for guardian dogs to finish a meal.

Return to Neutral. 18 x 11 inches and just three breed fibres in this one: Border Leicester wool, Romney wool and a wee bit of Clun Forest wool from my flock was used for tidying edges. It now hangs from a branch but I forgot to take a photo before it left for the local art gallery shop. It is for sale and will be added to the gallery page shortly.

No Going Back

Musing / January 6, 2019 / By

As I dive deeper into doing artwork, the artwork is diving deeper into me, nudging and tugging at ideas and perspectives I lost track of or never knew were there.

Since coming to this prairie land I have sought out and felt the link between land and animal and human. Now as this journey with creating artwork enters the scene it is acting like something beyond connection. The art and immersion into creating it, is like a live yarn that is weaving in and out of the other aspects, leaving its mark on each and touching every aspect at once. There are fresh, wholehearted connections made, – with this landscape, with fellow artists, with my soul and, just maybe, with humanity.

It sounds idyllic and it is. It’s also real in a rough around the edges way, and a bit confusing in the way all new paths are. I’m in a constant tug-o-war lately – feeling compelled to open wider and go with the flow yet shy of it and what it is asking of me. Feeling free to pursue the many avenues and yet pulled to focus and narrow down the direction. Feeling elated for the possibilities and inadequate about handling them.

Continuing my common routine of ranch life shepherding a flock of sheep without the reach for more feels like the easy road. Yet creating art and writing words is a constant pull now, just like the prairie land. It’s there when I’m out in this landscape absorbing one of those big-small moments, reaching for the catch words to etch it in place at least long enough to get back to my journal.

The final piece is solidifying. There is no going back. 

Land, animal, nature, artist, human, humanity – every piece is within me and I am within every piece. There can no longer be a seperation of these pieces nor a life of acting as though they are.  
As we head into an celebratory time of gift giving I hope every person can find a little bit of this gift within themselves and when they do, pass it along to the next. The world needs that. 

Felted Tasks

Artwork / December 9, 2018 / By

I’m dropping in with an update on artwork. It’s been a fruitful week with an art show featuring a collection of artists in the local gallery and time spent visiting with artists as a result. I sat down to the computer this evening with the intention to write about it because it was a special experience but words won’t come. I’m pretty sure writing in my paper journal will do the trick but for now, and for the sake of touching base and keeping up, switching gears it is.

On the ranch the routine is aptly routine. The sheep are grazing so our chores are light, consisting of feeding guardian dogs, checking on the flock twice a day and occasionally rolling out old hay for bedding. There is casual work/training with a couple stock dogs and the ever, ongoing work with the new house which Allen mostly takes care of at this point.

In the studio it feels more like computer time than creative time as I work through a long list of computer related tasks in trying to align online spaces necessary for sharing art and photos, all the while wondering where in the world am I going with this?  Some days I’m not sure which way to turn. When that feeling surfaces I slip into making the art – because I’ve grown comfortable with that aspect whereas the promotion of it is still so awkward.

Beginning of needle felting onto plain white wool canvas made of Clun Forest wool from this flock.  Second canvas in the background is made from Border Leicester wool. 
My mom asked if I would make a Christmas decoration, not having done so before and not having a clear idea of what style of decoration to aim for, I made a few. This was welcome, freeing, creative time. 
A pair of wool liners I made for inside my boots. I’ve been wearing these for a couple weeks now and oh they are toasty warm.

You can see by the creative outlets that I’ve been jumping around a bit, a sign of the unsettled feeling growth has brought.  

Regular posts of artwork can be viewed on the Wool, Stone & Prairie Facebook page and Instagram Feed.