CMC: Calligraphy Meets Chopped

I call it mystery paper as it was a scrap on a table in my studio and I really did not know where it came from or what type of paper it was. For fun I experimented with markers to see how they would bleed. Whatever paper it was, it did okay! Sometimes the fun is in the mystery of trying new things…which I plan to do more of this month.

I chose those quote specifically to announce a fun event for myself and this blog for December. I have been creating a piece of art each day for more than eighteen months and needed to mix things up a bit. I wanted more challenge and I wanted to make it more interactive and interesting for you! What can be more challenging than leaving behind what we know and heading full throttle into the unknown? THAT is where real creativity, problem solving and innovation (or disasters) are born.

We had a lot of family visit these past few weeks and I gave them a challenge. I’m calling it CMC: Calligraphy Meets Chopped!! Each person was given a ziplock bag and full access to my studio. They were asked to fill the bag with items, words, and papers they wanted me to use to create something. The bags were then put into a box so I could not see what was inside. They also gave me a time limit of 20 or 30 minutes in which to create using the items in their bag. In essence, they built a basket and I have to make a calligraphic piece from whatever they provided. I plan to video each session, posting a time lapsed version of course, and each final piece will become a piece of art for this blog. I will sit at my work table and have available supplemental items (like a kitchen pantry) to add or enhance whatever is in each bag.

So get ready for the adventures as I plan to start my first bag tonight, with my lovely husband’s help of course. He will choose each bag, hand it to me and once I open it the timer starts…wish me luck, creativity and lots of fun!

Stay tuned…triumph or flop, everything will be posted with a link to the videos. I’m excited, nervous, and up for the challenge. Best part, no commercials!