PHILIP & ANH'S LOFT STUDIO

It's always a treat to see another artist's working space. This Memorial Day weekend we were in Providence, RI visiting our dear friends, Philip & Anh Sawyer.

Philip is a wonderful creative clothing designer. In partnership with Anh, they design, create & market a line of high end, impeccably made men's and women's clothing out of this studio loft.

Their studio is spacious, light, & bright - every artist's dream space. Took these photos just before we left to drive back to Connecticut.

Philip Sawyer Designs online store of designer shirts & blouses made from the finest imported cottons, linens & natural fibers: http://philipsawyer.com/

Anh is a writer and wrote the riveting story of her life: Song of Saigon: One Woman's Journey to Freedom by Anh Vu Sawyer and Pam Proctor.

THE SUNS CAME OUT

I love making accordion fold books filled with collage. Started the latest one this morning, inspired by a recent trip to sunny California.

Machine stitched and glued 3 pages of sunny day collages. More to do on these. But it's a beginning. 12 pages in all.

I have a title in mind but holding all my ideas loosely. The process will lead the way.

PERKING

No time for hands on but I was perking today!

Sitting in the living room I wrote down some page ideas for the yellow Cali book. (Inspired by recent trip to California.)

Paper plates I used for paint palettes-great for cutting up & using in this collage project.

Thinking of using a rubber stamp alphabet to story-tell across the pages of the yellow accordion book.

Here's a closeup from the collage book titled 'Voyages' which I did a couple years ago. Used rubber stamped alphabet letters to tell story across the pages.

To see 'Voyages' click on the link.
http://www.margemalwitz.com/book_arts/voyages.php

COLOR ON HOLD

No time for creating. Project waiting.

SEW ON THE SUN

First California inspired collage almost finished. Need to sew on the sun, tack on the road, one more roof, maybe a pink bat star at waters edge.

Before stopping for the day I pulled out an accordion fold book I made a while ago. Thinking of using it in the California series, I recently painted one side yellow.

It's waiting for collages to span across the 12 pages. I'll work on this next. Maybe a series of sunny

California days in the neighborhood? The creative process continues...

Collages inspired by a recent trip to sunny California.

STITCHING A MISTAKE

Got working in the studio way too late in the day. When stitching the metallic effect thread down, the clear filament top thread broke & I missed it. Just after taking this photo, I did a little more sewing & discovered my mistake. Nothing was stitched down but I did have a line of holes punched in the paper. This will call for some creativity tomorrow.

Errors are harbingers of ideas because they introduce new directions for expression.

TRUST THE PROCESS Shaun McNiff pg. 41

QUIET IN THE STUDIO

Sunday. No cutting, pasting, painting, or sewing. Taking a break. Creative week begins Monday morning.

Lines On Canyon Road

Saturday is typically not a studio day but I managed to sit down this afternoon for a couple minutes and paint some string to be the road from the beach through the canyons to home. This is one of those ideas that may or may not work. I've always liked adding some black and white in colorful pieces-we'll see.

Cut & pasted a few "going green" houses. Had my collage journal w/Nantucket houses on the table to look at = emanation.

Collage inspired by drive from Malibu Beach area through the canyons to Newbury Park, CA, where my kids live.

We Move & Change the Materials...

No time to seriously sit down to create today but passing by the work table, I couldn't resist pushing around the hills, moving the green rectangles, pulling out some yellow-orange buttons & stringing blue metallic thread over the ocean.

"We are agents who move and change the materials and help them find a significant relationship to one another."

Trust the Process by Shaun McNiff pg. 38