The Leaving and the Left – Teardrop on the Fire Opening Exhibition 08.07.09 • Noteworthy* Paper&Press

…learning much about the logistical process of putting these pieces together. One major struggle I’m having is that the metal upon which I’m mounting everything is so thin, I’m having to mount the metal itself onto a piece of wood & hanging it with wire means it pulls away from the wall quite a bit.

One of my Favorite Days Ever Originally uploaded by love not fear Back in the studio after what seems to me like a long abscence. Completed four new pieces. Will write more about the process soon.

Rusty metal, worn wood, decayed wires. Love, when it first sparks, burns hot. Love needs heat to form, just as metal does, and glass. If the fire burns too hot, it burns itself out. When allowed to cool, it forms a solid recognizable thing that is affected by the ravages of time, and becomes more beautiful as it is exposed to the elements.

Should I quarantine each person’s sentiments per piece? For this one, I mixed letters from two different individuals with the idea that these types of emotions are universal. I’m thinking that maybe it doesn’t work within the piece, and that I should isolate feelings from individual writers. Still include both love and loss in one piece, just keep it focused on one person per piece. That will mean making more than one piece per person.

Initially, I had intended to use snippets of old love letters, juxtaposed with after-the-breakup letters to illustrate that love and sadness can exist in the same space, although maybe in different time continuums. Acknowledging and honoring both disparate feelings is important. Attempting to replace love with hate isn’t truly possible or healthy.