THINKING OF BLUE…AM I BLUE?
It Depends on the Meaning
Blog #14
March 7, 2021
By Emily Stehle
This has been a “Groundhog Day” Week…a week of redos. Finally, it has ended, and I’m back on track. Probably had something to do with feeling tired for several days (think it was a reaction to the second COVID vaccine shot), wanting to sleep and not thinking straight!
I told Artist Mentor Gabriel at our last Google meet I would concentrate on the blue panel after most of the work was completed on the 41 Baskets. I thought it was almost done last week with the ordering of two string lights from JC Penney. Surely, they would arrive within a week?
Nope, and calling customer service meant no service. No one picked up the phone even after 30 rings. So I drove to the mall…long story short and 45 minutes later, I had one box of lights, received a credit on the second box and then reordered the second spare set as the store manager suggested. We were very nice to each other. No use ranting about this stuff during a pandemic.
I’m learning to be very patient.
BLUE. The color of the clear sky.
Color of constancy since the days of Chaucer (1500)
True blue (1400)
Symbolically: represents trust and harmony, holds the energy and meaning of calm. Peace, love, kindness. Tranquility.
Designers use it to create calm, cool and peaceful spaces, although blue is also associated with sadness, doubt and emotional distance.
I’ve been concentrating on the color blue as it evokes one of the strong emotions we felt during a turbulent 2020. Russian-born American painter Mark Rothko, a major artist in the abstract expressionism movement, used color to convey a range of emotion and what he described as “a religious experience.”
I’ve been studying his blue works. I’ve been thinking what do I use for “my paint.” It is because of Rothko that I’m constructing large 4 x 8 ft. and larger weavings, but my work won’t be similar at all in look, but perhaps in feeling or tone. I’ll show you the completed panel probably by mid-April. You can decide for yourself if I succeeded.
I’ve started four pieces for the blue hanging…
So I’ll weave this blue “monster” during the next two weeks and then will piece the sections together – like El Anatsui! And also thinking about placement of my “beads,” actually painted aluminum soda can and beer tabs, plastic bread tags, bottle caps and these colorful plastic round pieces (looks like from medical bottles or containers) mailed from a new Facebook ukulele friend.
Time to get the drill out!
You can see more photos on Instagram: emilystehle
You can see some of my earlier work and beading on Facebook @thehappiestrabbit.
