A PILE OF SCRAPS project Uganda #3

I started my day retrieving 2 bags of African fabric scraps. The scraps are from my friends at Amani in Rwanda. Now I'm creating something with them to send to Brian's friend in Uganda.

I dumped the scraps on the table in my studio, worked on the 'pages', ironed some scraps & thought about tomorrow's creative plan of attack!

Brian finally realizes his dream of going to Africa...

"I think I had a better experience for waiting the 20 years it took to complete that part of the dream."

"It became an adventure with a purpose and much more fulfilling."

"I felt the time was becoming urgent to go there before I couldn’t walk as well as I was then."

To be continued... Scroll back 2 posts for story beginning.

Top photos: poster-George Anderson; acrylic-Filomena Booth; gouache-Marge Malwitz & African scraps in studio.

Lower photo: Brian in village hut in Gulu, Uganda with family he sponsors.

MEET BRIAN project Uganda #2

I hardly know where to start! So I'll let Brian begin to tell you his story.

"I have been to over 50 countries. A goal of mine for all my adult life is to travel to at least as many countries as I am years old. I am right on target. Out of high school I spent some time in Mexico with an exchange student’s family... At 22 I was back packing Europe for 3 months alone. At 24 I circled the globe, and spent the next few years filling in the gaps."

"It was never enough to see the sights. I had to feel the culture everywhere I went, something I still strive to do when I can. I love to make friends and when they need it, help them improve their lives. In circling the globe the one place on the list I didn’t get to was Africa."

Brian eventually did make it to Africa. In the photo he's with students who are in training with the African Children’s Choir. he continues his story tomorrow.

Meanwhile back at the sewing machine, I'm continuing on Brian's project destined for Uganda. Tomorrow I get all my African fabric scraps back from a friend. I want to work some into the design. I set the 'pages' on a couple pieces of African fabric I had leftover from making the story ropes in Rwanda.

PROJECT UGANDA #1

No I am not going to Uganda. Nor is my new friend, Brian, who I'm collaborating with on this project.

I met Brian at the Finisher's Forum in Seattle. Brian came to an impromptu redo of the class I taught that morning on Using Art Cross-Culturally for God. He missed my morning workshop but I was thrilled to have an interested audience of 2 guys that afternoon! And wow on that audience!

Brian is a mover and shaker & I was thrilled to have met him. He really liked this Wordless Book. & had something in mind.

Long story short, I'm making him one which will be hand carried to Uganda, not by Brian, but by someone in his fellowship. It will be given as a gift to his Ugandan friend, he met there last year.

More about this unusual partnership & creating the 'book' in the coming posts.

• Wordless Book I created & used originally in Russia

• pondering the project-needs to be simple & completed this week

• dark & red pages in progress.

BEACH FRAGMENTS

Scanned & printed one of my coastal collages. It's for the front of a thank you note I'm sending to the extraordinary couple who recently hosted us & friends at their gracious home in the Seattle area.

There was a large framed coastal painting (I'm thinking a print) hanging high up on the wall in their foyer. I recognized it immediately! It was in one of my coastal collages. When we traveled to the Oregon coast years earlier, I collected postcards, travel brochures, tide charts & gallery cards - all with collaging in mind.

This same coastal image was on a gallery card, which I later cut up and used in this collage, titled Beach Fragments. The cut up postcard of the beached dingy is on the right side, around which I designed the rest of the collage.

As I created page after page of coastal collages in the red Kolo Journal, I saved all the cut scraps from each collage. Beach Fragments is made mostly from those fragments.

NICARAGUAN REFLECTIONS

My friend, Marcia, recently spent 6 weeks in Nicaragua creating art w/children & women.

The final week she taught women how to make collaged accordion books, similar to the one she made in my studio. As Marcia did with her own book, she invited the women to tell 'their stories' on the pages of their books.

Marcia is back from Nicaragua & shares these reflections.

"What I want to remember is how powerful the making of the art was in sharing our stories & faith. As my translator said, 'I did not know art could be so powerful in helping someone share their life story & in healing hearts.'

Women shared stories of sexual abuse, rape, loss of loved ones early in life, infidelity, shunning & shaming. The art helped with getting the stories out & relief for the hearts of the women.

There were many moments of prayer & then more sharing. Time was sacred with these special women. I was undone in my heart several times & wept like Jesus wept over Lazurus's death."

Marcia continues to be a great artist to mentor. She's combining her own story with what she learned in my studio & is now multiplying the possiblities! Her next stops are Italy & Hungary!

For more of Marcia's Nic. experiences-read her blog, Creative Call Nicaragua.

Lower photo: Marcia in pink shirt in Nic. w/the women & their books.

BACK FROM THE SHORE

2 skiffs to celebrate the 2 overnights we just spent with Rick & Donna at their delightful cottage @the Jersey Shore - situated within one square mile of heaven - lovely, quaint "Ocean Grove".

Wish I were still sitting in the rocking chair on their front porch! What a glorious way to relax on Memorial Day!

TAKING IT TO NIC

I saw Marcia in Seattle last week. Remember Marcia? She flew east to work along side of me in my studio for a week back in March.

Mentoring, teaching & encouraging other artists - this is a role I find myself in more & more. Specifically these are artists, who have a similar passion to mine - using their art cross-culturally.

Marcia was a star student who soaked everything up like a sponge! Within days of leaving my place, she flew on to Nicaragua with her accordion books, creative tags & collages ready to put into practice what she learned.

More of Marcia, the 'going cross-culture artist', in Nic later this week.

Photos: Marcia painting papers for collage in Nicaragua.

IT'S ALL ABOUT FISHING

Just returned from Seattle.

Great fish photography @Pikes Place Market!

Seattle in coming posts:

Saw Marcia in Seattle - time to share her Nicaragua experience.

Met Brian @Finishers Forum workshop Using Art Cross-culturally. We'll partner in creating an accordion book for his friend in Uganda.

Looking for 'crosses' around Pikes Place for Gerda's 365 - Cross a day photo project.

Story ropes in Japan? Maybe.

DAY-NIGHT-NIGHT-FIRE

I returned from Boston. Gave seminar to a really great group. Mixture of cultures, backgrounds & interests in taking the visual arts to other cultures.

Loved presenting in Boston!

...back to Rahab

yesterday:

4 houses on wall

today:

change houses & sky

day, night, night, fire

story coming

and yes, my studio does get messed up!