Friday, February 20, 2009

Secret #7 of 12: Consulting with Guides

Peace Camp Update
Thanks to Leo Reynolds for winged figure of Peace and GoYurt for GoYurt at night
both with a creative commons license that allows alteration.


Onto week 7 of 12 Secrets... For me the idea of consulting with guides is about listening to my inner guides... looking and listening for answers from within.

Right now my intuition is that I need to play with labyrinths again.

And I decided I needed to carve them. So I used lino.


Labyrinth and Not Labyrinth

One worked, the other didn't. I rather like the symbology of both a working, followable, labyrinth and one that is merely superficially labyrinthine but in fact quickly turns out to be a dead end.

I am amused at one synchronicity. This week's interview is with Melba. And it was when I was taking part in Melba's Mixed Media Memoirs (an old challenge that is no longer running) that I last showed images of labyrinths on this blog!

For those prompts I was tending to scan things in, manipulate and glue them together digitally, before I printed out the completed whole to stick in my memoir. This time around, with the inspiration of altered books and Soul Journals, I'm using more real glue. And maybe also because the novelty of doing everything digitally has worn off a little...

And I have really been getting my hands dirty this time. These are my first lino prints since school!

Here are the next two I did:

A Couple More Linocuts


Sorry this is all a bit stilted... my words go out the window when I'm in strong image space.

12 comments:

Melanie Margaret said...

I love these lino blocks. I remember doing them at school!
Mixed media memoirs seems so long ago! I wish I could have kept the site up but a year after I started it someone paid me for the domain name because she had a business for making memoirs for vetrans with the same name... but now I see she is not using it.
Your pages makes me really want to start art journaling again. I stopped because it got a little messy and was tough to clean up with the kids around, so now I only use pens and a glue stick that cleans up much faster. I never know when I will be interrupted.

Caroline said...

Melba - thank you! They were more fun to do than I remembered from school... but I think that's a lot to do with being free to pick my own designs.

I enjoyed doing the Mixed Media Memoirs but I did run out of steam... maybe that's when I ought to have switched to doing them more hands on.

I can imagine that children would make it quite difficult to use all sorts of things... I end up with paint and glue all over the place without anyone else to help me!

Lisa PN said...

What great lino prints! What fun! and the idea of the labyrinths slightly different, such a powerful image! Great!

LissaL said...

I wish to have a working, followable,labyrinth in my backyard. Like a meditation path. I guess this means when the times comes I shall be flying you over to help me create it! Another week of great images:)

andrea said...

I especially love the result of that coil lino print. If you ever get tired of the actual block send it to me because I could definitely use it in my work! :)

Cynthia said...

Heck! I have to acknowledge ignorance to lino but I do love labyrinths with a passion. I really like what you have done -- your piece is very enjoyable for the eye to follow--just like a labyrinth :)

Basically, too -- I totally understand words going out the window -- an image speaks a thousand words!

Love-n-Light
Cyn

Genie Sea said...

Oh I love your lino blocks! And I too am fascinated with the mystery and wonder of labyrinths, the kind that brings us to fantastic discovery, not dead ends! Your collage at the top of this post is enchanting :)

Anonymous said...

Oh yes! I enjoyed participating in Melba's Mixed Media Memoirs! It seems so long ago now - but I think that may be how/when I first became aware of your blog...

Your lino blocks are fabulous, Caro - I love the mazes, the spiral - all of them, really. It's making me want to play with carving some of my own again. I enjoy actual hands-on artmaking, so much more than digital - even if it does make a big of a mess -- but then maybe that's because I don't have a very good program - nor do I seem to have the talent for working digitally, that you have. However, you seem to work quite well in both!

Anonymous said...

I meant to type 'bit of a mess' - but perhaps that was a subconscious slip - in my case, I do seem to make a big mess ;)

Kathryn Costa said...

I love your carvings. I'm intrigued by labyrinths as a fellow soul sister has mentioned her interest in them. In the last week I keep noticing them and here again the labyrinth shows up. I'm paying attention to this and think it may be my time to explore its mysteries. Thanks for sharing your story on this journey. You've inspired me!

Unknown said...

Cool lino blocks! I have been wanting to do something like this (carvings) for a few months now. You have inspired me even more!

Ellen said...

Ditto Andrea, I love that last coil lino block especially. Sorry I've been away for so long, and for the same reason - in image space and not feeling terribly capable with words lately. Lovely journal you've created, what a fun project.