17 days remain

mom

I remember things people tell me... I may not remember exactly who told me, but I try.

I believe it was my mother who brought to my attention that I always (like her) choose to tackle the most difficult projects, and often work right up to deadline. I think it has to do with wanting a challenge, and to exhaust all possibilities in order to come to the most perfect solution.

I had a friend in High School named Nicole. She gave me the most wonderful compliment that I always remember when I am feeling inadequate as an artist. She said something to the effect of, "Sharon, whenever you start something, I think 'what the heck is she even doing?' But when you finish it, it's the coolest thing ever."

friends, jeff and nicole

I see the confusion on people's faces when I try to explain what I'm doing, and when I hear the ideas and suggestions of my peers, I sometimes interpret it as them trying to make sense of their confusion. I can always go back to my mom's notion and Nicole's compliment for reassurance that I'm on the right path. And now, for back-up I can reference Anne and Cameron who both mentioned that "it's all and experiment."

Well, my experiment continues. I'll be at VOCA tomorrow working on the same process but with entirely different imagery. After sending in $6 to the money order claim folks, I received an email today that my image was ready for download from the NY Pub Library. Note: account for at least 1 month when ordering imagery from such a source.

The timing is lovely. As I mentioned, I had moved past the image. The excessive bleaching of the fabric was one strike. Thinking that I'd never see the image was the second. Stress from the deadline was the third. It forced me to develop a new idea, which I'm pretty happy with and am excited to explore tomorrow during our open studio day. I'll be there noon to 6, with the exception of running off to get something I forgot, or grabbing a snack.