In my post last Thursday, I spoke about how if a project isn’t flowing like I expected, I’d make a Sharp Left Turn, and keep going!     I don’t believe in mistakes, only opportunities to be more creative!     But every once in a while something happens and, the project makes me wonder if it’s worth the effort or the agony…

I’ve worked with these darn pods for over four days now, and after getting more of the green pods, I decided to soak them in water, an attempt to keep them soft! Good idea or not, here’s what happened…..

These “green” pods that caught my eye last week sat in water, and hardened.     Can you believe it?     Instead of getting pruny like I would if I were left in water for a day and a half, they called my bluff, and started to get tough and dried out feeling.     I have been working with them to see if in an attempt to prevent them from getting the better of me, I could do something with them.     I’m determined to win this game!     It just occurred to me I might just as well use green beans, even the tough, old beans are more flexible than the green pods.   I wonder what the green beans would look like dried, or if they would draw ants?     Would they resist being used in an art project, or would they rise to the occasion, and become elegant, royal looking green beans worthy of an art project such as this?

Finally my thought process was;   if I put the pods on a canvas, cover it with burlap, maybe it would give them the message that they were not going to escape being the object of an art weaving, and maybe it would help me see where I need go with this!     The other day, I purchased three colors of burlap thinking, “Organic.” I bought dark brown, light green, and a wheat colored neutral.     All beautiful, but I had thought the green would be perfect, and it turned out there wasn’t enough contrast!     Remember, “It’s the journey!”    I’m now leaning to the dark brown for contrast.     What do you think?

Originally, I thought of just weaving the pods all alone by themselves, but as I worked with them, I’m  realizeding they needed to be beaten into submission if I wanted to use them at all!     Next, I thought of using wool roving and dry felting them so they would stay in place, but after running the needles through my finger, I’m not so sure! Then maybe using other fabrics such as yarn, or gauze?     I’m going back and forth on this, all the time wondering if it’s worth the effort?    Again it occurred to me that, “It’s the journey!”     I’m thinking this only applies if the journey is going well!     You can see why I’m wondering if it’s worth it!

By nature I rarely let things get the better of me, whether it’s figuring out the use of electronics, creating art, or reading a book that isn’t holding my interest.     I usually finish what I start!     Problems simmer in the back of my mind until around three in the morning, when an idea or solution   awakens me, and  won’t allow me to return to sleep!     This hasn’t happened as yet with the pods, I’m trying to conquer them before they conquer me!

Have any of you worked with pods in this way?     I’m finding them not as easy as I thought originally, these are actually kind of a pain!     But I love pods, and  pick them up regularly! Read the rest of this entry →