Floe vs. Flow

"Only ice floating on water produces a floe. Volcanoes produce lava flows."

The flow happens because the earth is on fire on the inside, like I was today. But lately, the daily artwork has been in the floe. Where a floe exists, there is plenty of very cold water and the actual pieces of it are made of incredible ice chunks. A floe is very powerful because it seems like small pieces on the surface, but the isolated pieces are capable of sinking the world's largest ships. So I'm not saying the pieces I've made have been uninspired, rather, I've had to dig pretty deep to find the inspiration for these black and white pieces.  The pieces look so simple on the surface, even to me, and the inspiration is just waiting to be uncovered. 

I feel like I am just warming up. Quite seriously, I created this piece tonight and just as I thought I was finished, someone on TV quipped about the "Fifty Shades of Gray" and I immediately realized what I had just painted. I joked with my sweetie that I should have titled the piece, "These are not the Fifty Shades of Gray you are looking for." Honestly, I haven't read that book and really don't intend to. I am familiar with the hype- so the title rests as it is. 

Then, just as I sat down to type this blog, a friend from UNLV days in music posted,

"Just found out that 1/3 of the world's lava comes from Iceland. Not sure I've ever heard something more ironic."

That guy was my accompanist in college on more than one occasion. I probably still owe him money. But seriously....

I've mentioned having returned to "The Artist's Way" and have simply been writing the "Morning Pages" and working through some things as I go through the current chapter. When I started the book in December, I noticed there is something quite like a miracle about this devotional. Returning to it has started an internal fire that keeps me moving from one thing to the next in the studio. Old ideas and sparks have come to light and are rolling in a flow of hot lava picking up momentum. Seriously, it is helping to make my dreams come true.

Lava flow is red, black, and extremely hot. The picture is filled with black, white, and gray. The inspiration is red on the inside of me- and the paint colors are just part of the floe; Light on the surface but powerful below. And the quote my friend posted? Yes. In this case, inspiration comes from some of the strangest places and likely not where we might expect it. I guess the floe vs. flow might actually be another form of "black and white" for the Creative Every Day Challenge. They are ironic opposites that sound the same when pronounced. 

What a day!

I am thankful for inspiration in its many forms, no matter where it starts. 

Materials: 

Artist's Loft 90Lb Watercolor Paper

Faber Castell Watercolor Cakes

Prang Watercolor In Black

Here is another part of the flow.

I am buying used mugs from thrift stores and creating art on them. I have a set of Pebeo paints made specifically for the purpose of painting on finished ceramic pieces. It is my intention to sell these pieces, however, this particular one is a request from a relative to another relative.

 

 

And this is a tiny espresso mug just for me. Although, I could be persuaded to sell it....then I could afford to pay my accompanist....

 

Reference: 

http://www.beedictionary.com/common-errors/floe_vs_flow