Art Tag with NCWCA at ARC Studios & Gallery

I met with my NCWCA friends today at ARC Studios & Gallery, for the Art Tag, round-robin game based on the theme: Patterns, which was interpreted in numerous ways. As it turned out, my partner started the process with her three pieces, and then I took my turn. I showed my first piece called Convergence, a print I made using white ground on a zinc plate in my printmaking class at COM. 

Elise showing her print, Convergence, 2011

Next, I shared my first animated video, Elise in Quiltland, 2012, http://youtu.be/eA-oWD0p6cU which was influenced by the collaged paper piece of multiple colored squares I received from Miriam, my ArtTag partner and created on my iPad, using the app ArtStudio.  For this piece, I made several reiterations of the squares, similar to how I constructed my Animoto video, Into the Oblivion, 2010.  Both are viewable on YOU Tube, on my Channel, elisechevalgoesvideo, but were not so easily seen on my small laptop computer. 

Elise showing her video, Elise in Quiltland, 2011

For my final piece, I was inspired by the 2nd collaged paper piece, Healing the Bones, from my partner, which reminded me of a stage with a curtain and I considered it an invitation to do a performance piece called Carpe Diem.   To be in keeping with my improv work, I only opened the package this morning, then upon opening it, I saw a picture of an x-ray of a hand, with the words, "Carpus".  I related to the piece in numerous ways, including healing from my own repetitive strain injury, and my work as a Feldenkrais teacher.  When I researched "carpus" on Wikipedia, I came across the words Carpe Diem and learned that the poet, Horace, who penned the aphorism was born on December 8, 65 BC!  Given that my birthday, and my Mom's birthday is December 8, I though about how I could integrate all of this information into my performance.  I wanted to take my own quilt for ArtTag, but when I couldn't remember where I put it, Spirit guided me to take the quilt my Mom made for me before she died in 2008.

Elise showing the quilt, Fur Elise, made by her Mom, 2006

My Mom's machine-pieced kaleidoscope quilt, Fur Elise, she titled after my favorite song by Beethoven that she played on the piano when I was a kid, was the perfect expression of the theme called patterns.  To see more pictures from the girls participating in ArtTag, go to www.ncwca.org.