Get Your Mojo On

I had the pleasure last week to be interviewed by Mark Lipinski on Creative Mojo, an Internet radio show. Mark is the Creative Director for All American Crafts publishing and the mastermind behind so many of the craft magazines that you see on the racks at Barnes and Noble and other newsstands. He is also known as the 'bad boy' of quilting and has quite an irreverent and exuberant personality. If you are already familiar with him, you know what I'm talking about!

Mark had seen 'Self Contained', my project with Vivian Bonder and Stephanie McAtee in the January/February issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. He wanted to discuss more about the project and about collaborating in general.

The interview was live on Wednesday 4/20 but you can hear it as a podcast available for download in iTunes or, more simply, at this link. Just scroll down and click on the 4/20/11 show. Creative Mojo is two hours long but you can find my segment between 37:30 and 59:00. 

Thanks Mark for the opportunity. It was a great experience.

The Cube, The Tube, and The Sleeve

As many of you know, I have been working on a number of art collaborations over the past few years. Several of them have come to a close in 2010. One of these projects was with Vivian Bonder and Stephanie McAtee. Called Self Contained, this was an out-of-the-box collaboration that focused on feelings that we tend to hide from others and that we could no longer contain. I am happy to say that not only is our project in the January/February 2011 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors but it is featured on the cover.

We each created our own, individual pieces bound by absolutely no rules. The artwork traveled back and forth from the United States to Australia and we each worked on all the pieces at least twice. There was a lot of creative synergy and we often added to each other's work. In the end, we were rewarded with the Cube, the Tube, and the Sleeve.

My piece is the Sleeve: 6 wrapped, mixed media booklets, feelings contained within. Click each picture to enlarge for detail..

Here is Viv's incredible Tube and some of the insides that I completed...

And here is Steph's amazing Cube. You may have seen my 'Unfinished' side on the right before. Both Viv and I completed 'Self'' on the left.

A big thank you to Jenn Mason and Barbara Delaney at CPS for all your support! I love the new direction you are taking the magazine.

Contain Me

I continue to work on "Self Contained" - my collaboration with Viv and Step. Each of us have created our own art structure that all three of us work in three different times. It is all about what lies within. Things that may be unspoken and things that are often hidden. Raw, grungy, rough, messy, and all our selves. One very special and unique aspect to this project is that we all create on and over each other's artwork. A true collaborative effort!

A few glimpses of my most recent work in Viv's piece. Click to enlarge.

Contained Continued

I am continuing to collaborate with Viv and Steph on our project Self Contained. And I have to say, working with these two creative individuals has me very, very inspired. We promise there will one day be a big reveal but until then, here are some glimpses of the recent work I have completed on my own part of the project. Click each image to enlarge for detail - it makes a difference!






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Contained & Unrestrained

Among the many collaborations I am involved with right now includes my project with Vivian Bonder and Stephanie McAtee. It is called Self Contained and we have just completed one round out of three. The brief: raw, grungy, rough, deep, messy, personal. We have each interpreted this theme quite differently and have created three very distinct structures to work in.

Here are some glimpses of my work so far that I just completed for Viv:






Steph and Viv have each worked in my project once so far and will add more artwork in two additional rounds. I just received my own project back and am over the top happy with what they have created so far. Their work keeps drawing me back in.

Some details of Steph's artwork in my project:





And here are some closeups of what Viv has added:

Glimpses into my Self

One more. Just one more. My first posting on just one more collaboration that I have been involved in. Think raw. Think grunge. Think personal. Think real. Think self...contained. Viv and Steph and I have created our own structures and each of us has completed one go round, working on another artist's project.

Glimpse of my work in Steph's piece - click to see the detail:



Glimpse of my piece -- before the first mailing & waiting to be worked on:



I am now waiting to receive Viv's piece for my first go round.

Click here to see the beginning of Steph's piece and here to see a glimpse of her work in Viv's project. And click here for a peek into Viv's work in my project. And stay tuned for more...

I am also thoroughly enjoying my ongoing collaboration with Bridgette and Jen. I am currently working on a spread in my own book Contexture. Here is a glimpse of my pages in progress...which is symbolic of how I think of myself...a work in progress.



Thanks to everybody who has commented on my previous post thereby signing up for a chance to be one of the two winners of my giveaway. Your feedback and generous thoughts truly mean so much to me. If you haven't commented on the previous post, you can still do so until the end of the day on Sunday May 24 to have a chance to win.



And don't forget to visit my Inspiration Station. Click on the icon on my sidebar to be instantly transported to what is inspiring me in the moment.