Fragility

 I have been enjoying the beginning of the year and the chance I feel it gives me to play and explore.  Having gotten several commitments out the way; it now feels as if the next commitment is a fair way away so let's play!

For some reason I began to think about nests and eggs and birds and feathers again (I do circle back to them a fair bit).

Which made me think about the words I had written about eggs several years ago...which then made me wonder if I could add words to eggshells; which then made me wonder if I could add Letraset to eggshells and...

Luckily dinner required 4 eggs and a cake required 2, so they were used, then the shells rinsed and cleaned and left to dry.

I thought about how to colour the insides, and played around with some vivid alcohol-based inks.  

The way the alcohol-based gold splits and creates a whole galaxy was particularly pleasing.

Even using white and gold was lovely.

And then I started to try and add letters.

Inside and out.

The words I had written about eggs were:

ovoid solitude

vulnerable protection

time of slow waiting

I think I might be on to something.  The bright colours are beautiful and jewel-like in their own right; but perhaps they were not quite what I was thinking about to go with the words.

So I grabbed a couple of bottles of calligraphy ink and had another play. These colours are much more knocked back.

And once again could not resist the drop of alcohol-based gold in the bottom!

So...the play continues.

I am fairly sure this notion will sound counterintuitive and also polar opposite to what it could be; but I did begin to ponder whether I should try to pop into the schedule 1/2 day play each week?  Wondering what that might look like? Would it keep me committed to the notion of play? Would it feel so forced that it might not work?

It seems to me to be worth a try as I try to bring more play and experimentation into my daily arts life. I am aware that trying to build habits takes persistence and I value play more than I actually do it so...if I commit to some time doing it I wonder if I will?