From the Studio | A Year of Silhouettes

As I cleaned my studio at the end of the holiday rush, I was overcome by the feeling that I hadn't made any fine art in a while. I know it sounds weird, I am a maker by trade, how is that not art? And it is, but sometimes my life in the studio is a lot more about business and practicality than it is about just freely exploring a medium. One of my promises to myself in the new year was to allow some time each week to just be in the studio and create freely.

One of the things that inspires me each morning is the sunrise. My studio windows face east and I watch the sun come up over the mountains each day. On the foggy days it is like watching the light pass over a thin veil of silk. Each tree is outlined in silhouette form and the mountains create a jagged line across the sky. I have always enjoyed silhouettes, even as a child, fascinated by the ones my mom had made of our family members.

Inspired by looking closely at objects in their most basic form, I decided to create a weekly silhouette throughout the year. You will be able to join me here on the blog each week for photos of the finished piece and process, as well as participate on Instagram by following along and posting your own creations with the hashtag #52silhouettes.

Below is my first silhouette. It is of an antler that my husband found while walking the grounds at our home before we moved in. I look at it on our fireplace mantle everyday and love the simple curves and delicate intricacies of its shape.

I invite you to join me on this art adventure! As the weeks pass, I will be sharing with you some of my favorite ways to make silhouettes, along with featuring some of the ones you have shared with me. By the end of the year, I will have quite a gallery...

Here's to 51 more!

xo

Lisa