Recipes for Creation: A Collaborative Art Exchange

I am now undertaking the long awaited chance to experiment and really play with more free flowing forms of working with cloth. In other words, I want to play with creating clothing the way an artist plays with paint on a canvas or any other medium. Since clothing is so product focused it is hard to remove myself from the outcome and just create from pure spontaneity and inner spark.

For years my dear creative-sister-diva Ahna Fender (www.artruckus.com) and I have been wanting to collaborate on a project that would get us both working in new ways to unlock creative juices that even for us can get clogged up upon occasion!

The result, we came up with "Recipes for Creation" a project that creates guidelines with directions for both of us to translate to whatever medium we chose and inspire each other in ways we haven't done. And, most importantly, allow us to support each other as creative souls that need community to inspire us and encourage us, so we continue the work of the artist. I know for me connecting this way is exactly what I need to keep on moving!
:::::Below is the project!:::::
A sprinkle of chance, a dash of collaboration and a whole lot of play are the main ingredients in "Recipes for Creation," a new collaborative project that fellow artist-friend Ahna Fender and I schemed up over lunch at a kebab restaurant in San Francisco recently.

Here's what we've got cooking: Every few weeks one of us will devise a list of at least four random ingredients to be used in an art project of our choosing. For example:
• tinsel
• toy soldiers
• something blue
• something dug out from a dumpster
• the first sentence from a cheesy romance novel.
As you can see, the possibilities are limitless. Anything goes! The main rule is to have no rules, although it's probably also helpful to ensure that the suggested materials are available (in this dimension).

The person may also choose to include a short set of instructions, containing any particular suggestions for how to go about creating this crazy art concoction.

For instance, a suggestion might be to begin the process blindfolded, or warm up with a dance. The instructions can be anything that help shake us out of habituated ways of creating.

After sending out the recipe, each of us will set to work in our own studios to see what happens!

We will, of course, include you in the fun. Images of all the creations we cook up will be posted here for your delectation.

We also welcome you to participate by emailing images of your own interpretation of the recipes, or by making a suggestion for a future recipe that we may wish to try.

Check back soon to see what's cooking…