Wired
But not in the way you might think
This week, I’ve mostly been playing with wire
It’s an idea I’ve been pondering for a thing I’m doing, she said, being vague.
Yep, Threadnoodle has gone 3D.
It started yonks ago with this
No, I don’t know either. And no, there’s no wire involved. But the last time I picked it up to dust the top of the piano (where it lives) it got me thinking about experimenting with an idea for that thing I didn’t mention, being vague again. So then this happened.
But it wasn’t working how I wanted, so I HAD to get out the wire 😅
Because another thing that happened a long time ago was this
I made it in class when we were talking about ‘form’ and I got people doing things with wire. I kept it because I like it - especially the feathers and the bark with orange stitching, but it is looking a bit bedraggled now. It’s also tiny. It’s an idea, like something you’d play with in a sketchbook but 3D.
So wire has been manipulated, and is now looking like this
with a diversion into this
I was starting to lose heart after descending into the land of cute and whimsical, and I wasn’t happy with the initial bowl shape above or my process to manipulate the wire into shape. So after a brief diversion into the interwebs to watch this video, I tried again (no bare feet or arc welding involved with my process):
Another thing that happened long ago…
When I was sharing all this with my little group of artist friends on Wednesday, I remembered that OF COURSE 🤯 - it was THINGS WITH WIRE that got me onto the cover of this book by Kim Thittichai - Sonas Studio. So I dug out the book to show everyone:
and found my page with my two little fishies:
And there it was - within my artist blurb, the line I’d completely forgotten, even though I probably wrote it myself:
She has a particular interest in creating three-dimensional work
Huh! Who’d have thunk
There it is - proof that I am indeed interested in creating 3D work. Something I’ve always been drawn to. I was a Lego-obsessed child, I’d love to do more ceramics (had a hankering for a kiln for years) and I like experimental baking (try it - if other people are suspicious of your experiments, you don’t have to share). I just love manipulating materials to make things. Things with form. Don’t get me wrong, I love a bit of collage and paint, and I’ve even discovered sketchbooks can be fun and all. And yes, that’s all still tangible, touchable stuff.
But making these things - especially things that have no purpose, or can’t be categorised - that’s what makes me really buzzy and excited.
Sometimes I feel I need tattoos to remind me of stuff like this, so I’m not constantly reinventing the wheel. But then again, I’m so forgetful about almost everything, I don’t think I’ve got enough canvas.
I have two questions for you
When you discover a new thing, do you sometimes think “this is it, I’ve found my life’s purpose, I must do this forever”
Do you ever remember and follow through? or forget as soon as the next shiny thing comes along?!
Until next time,
I’m the one with the wire cutters - at least until the next shiny idea comes along,
Threadnoodle is and always will be free to read without a paywall - subscribe here. It’s a lovely way to support me - and receive my posts in your inbox or Substack app!
If you’d like to support me a little more, you can always buy me a coffee - that’d be more than lovely too 😊
I'm in a constant circle of finding my life's purpose then getting bored or disheartened. Maybe my life's purpose simply is to acquire lots of art and craft supplies and feel overwhelmed by them. In which case I'm a huge success.
I definitely think, “This is it; I have found my life’s purpose!” I eventually get bored and move on to the next shiny thing…
But as I invariably circle back—after years sometimes—and fall in love with a different aspect of it all over again, I dare not throw *anything* away. I did once and it was very costly: I had to go out and buy everything again!