The Top of the Box cont...

It's 11:30 pm again, and I've been working on this piece all day. I get an idea in my head and I can't let it go. I'm also under a time crunch because I start class on Tuesday and I have no idea how much homework I'll have. I won't be able to get this grouted before class starts, but grouting is the easy part. It's also a lot of fun!













Grouting is less thinking and more like playing in mud. It's like when you were a kid at the beach making sand castles. You get to mush your hands around in the grittiness and smear it all over working it down between the pieces of glass. It feels good, and it's also the moment of truth. It's when you know if your piece actually works or not.













The color you choose for the grout is extremely important! It can make or break your piece. You also have to make sure you mix enough grout if you mix a custom color. I use plain grout, un-tinted, and mix it with acrylic paint. I'm new at all of this, and what I know I've learned from my Californian friend - hopefully he won't be upset that I am giving away trade secrets...

Broken Compass

Now that I've started this new journey back into the world of making art, I find myself not knowing what project to begin next. I've always been a bit eclectic in my work - I like too many different kinds of art. Photography, drawing, painting, collage, now mosaic and jewelry making. I've done needle crafts such as quilting, cross stitching, needlepoint, and embroidery. You name it and I've probably tried it, and most likely mastered it to an acceptable skill level.

Acceptable. Yes, that's what I said. Acceptable. It has always seemed to me that I should probably pick something and stick to it in order to go beyond acceptable and possibly become an expert. The idea scares me. Maybe it's like the groom fretting over the idea of having to sleep with only one partner for the rest of his life. Do I have a problem with commitment?

I'm usually the one that jumps in with both feet. I'm the one that always says, "Let's make a decision and go with it." Why is it that I can't pick one medium, one art form, and stick with it until it's perfect?

I've always been jealous of artists who have a style. You look at their work and you know. You simply know whose work it is without seeing the signature. I've always wanted that...