Studio Fruits: Dye Drawings on Cloth – A Place of Not Knowing

A few months ago, I had assembled a group of dye drawings on 13 large silk screen frames and spent a day printing these out on cloth, sharing a few photos of that work in process in a previous post.

Below are some of the fruits from that day of printing in the studio:

Dye Drawing on Cloth (work in progress) © Ayn Hanna

As I tend to do with works in progress, I’ve had some of these art cloth pieces hanging on the walls around my studio for awhile now, contemplating next steps.  It helps me to “see” these on a regular basis while not looking hard at them and trying to figure out what to do, what to do.  Letting the imagery seep into my sub-conscious allows the next steps to reveal themselves to me as I’m ready.

Dye Drawing on Cloth (work in process) © Ayn Hanna

At least that’s how my process usually works.  

But with this group, I’ve reached a place of not knowing.  And, been wrestling with my decisions.  What more do these need?  Should I develop them with stitch into “finished” textile paintings?  Should I leave them “as is”, allow them to “just” be beautiful pieces of art cloth?  Cut them up and make pillows?

Several artist friends have already weighed in on this decision – the prevailing thought is to try stretching some of these over stretcher frames and allowing them to be “finished” pieces.

Dye Drawing on Cloth (work in process) © Ayn Hanna

 While the over-achiever in me has had a hard time believing that these could be considered “done” (what, you mean without putting X more hours into layering and stitching, etc. etc?).  I’m realizing that this is all part of my learning process, actually part of my UN-learning:  Achievement is not measured by amount of HARD work.

Somewhere in my upbringing it was imprinted on me that unless you’ve had to struggle and work hard, the achievement wasn’t as valued, that hard work was the way to success/achievement, even happiness?

So that is something I am in the process of Un-learning….that hard work is NOT the path to well-being.  Feeling good is the path to well-being.

 I am thankful for the insight of friends and that making ART is a vehicle for greater self-awareness and personal growth.

As author Jerry Sternin wrote,

“It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than think your way into a new way of acting.”

I’ll be ordering some stretcher bars and trying on the idea that some of these pieces are fine and wonderful just as they are.  And I’ll also take some further with layering and stitch too.  What do you think?