creating|processing

 |  May 26, 2014

flood-2
from one of my flood damaged journals
words are from a book I was reading on Vincent van Gogh

Art making has always been a part of my life, even before I ever even thought of dedicating myself to it. Making art for me has always been about helping me to process the world and my life. To say here I am, this is who I am, and this is my experience. To make sense of me and the events in my life.

I write because it helps me to get my thoughts down before they bubble over. I love words, stringing them together to form a thought, drawing something tangible from what swirls through my brain. I make things because creating is what I do. I love the idea of creating something from nothing. I love to see the handiwork behind an object, the care that went into actualizing a vision, an idea, a whim. And I make images to express what I cannot put into words.

There are so many times in my life that the creative process has helped me to heal from loss or grief. Creating is always what I turn to.

I was happily surprised to find that my art and my words were featured on the Cloth, Paper, Scissors blog in an article titled Meditations From An Encaustic Artist last week. I was so honored to be featured in such a heartfelt article.

Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch has a new book called Encaustic Revelationwhich I believe will be out this summer. I was supposed to teach at EncaustiCamp last summer, but with the flood destroying my studio as well as turning my life inside out, I wasn’t able to attend. The chapter I wrote for her book is about one of the ways I make book art using plaster and wax and also my thoughts behind bookmaking, which also touches upon my creative process in general. I really do think that art is not just about connecting to oneself, but to the world outside the self. To me that is when a piece is successful, when another person can recognize something of themselves in something that I have made.

I love that.


8 Comments

  1. by ArtPropelled on May 27, 2014  3:01 am Reply

    Exactly! Making art soothes me when things are going badly or when I'm grieving and it helps to get clogged thoughts flowing on a daily basis. Congrats on being featured in the article, Bridgette. Love the thought of plaster gauze and wax. Looking forward to seeing your demonstration in Encaustic Revelation. It's on my Kalahari wish list!

    • by bridgette on May 28, 2014  9:41 am Reply

      Thanks Robyn! We are fortunate that we have art to turn to in good times and bad. It's my safety net, for sure

  2. by Sharmon Davidson on May 27, 2014  10:52 am Reply

    I love that, too, and your work always touches me that way. Congrats on the article!

    • by bridgette on May 28, 2014  9:41 am Reply

      Thank you Sharmon! That means a lot.

  3. by Seth on May 29, 2014  8:00 am Reply

    Congratulations on being featured on the CPS blog Bridgette...and for being part of the new book too!

  4. by Rebecca Walker on May 31, 2014  8:01 am Reply

    LOL! That article finally brought me to your blog...where I recognize even more of myself in this post. Half a lifetime ago, I crafted my way out of a very dark place - one crochet stitch at a time. I signed up a couple of months ago for an encaustic workshop in June and can hardly contain my excitement! Seeing your work added another dimension to the anticipation.

    • by Bridgette Mills on June 1, 2014  8:14 pm Reply

      Glad you found your way here Rebecca and that you recognized something here in my post. I hope you have a great time in your encaustic workshop!

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