Guest Post: iheartmies and a lot of one thing

One great thing about having creative friends is that you get to have these full, funny, long conversations about the things that fascinate you.  In a friendship that is approaching the ten-year mark, iheartmies and I have been having a years-long dialogue about a lot of one thing.  Really it's a conversation about transformation by simple multiplication.  I get such a kick out it, that I asked her to write something for the blog.

But first a little intro to the lady: she's a bloody Renaissance woman, a damn fine karaoke companion, and I seriously admire her collages (and covet one of the queen and Tricky Dick...hint, hint).  There's a very good chance that she is the only thing keeping me hip at this point in my life.  Without further ado:

talking to jenny about muses
for her
circles
for me
it is a lot of one thing

 

why do i like a lot of one thing?
and why is it my muse?

lets just break it down into fundamentals

shit lets make a list
im good at lists

So where and why do we see a lot of one thing?
(1) nature - to carry on ones species

(2) social - to have a sense of community

  (3) creative - because visually, it is stunning

(4) something about space/universe the unknown 

(1) nature - this is a couple of things, but not scientific for purposes of this discussion

mathematics and procreation
this is general
we are not talking adoption or twins
those situations make the math complicated but follow with the perpetuation of a lot of one thing
so
1 person + 1 person = 3 people
1 flower + 1 bee + 1 flower = fruit + honey
apids (man i hate those invertebrates, stop eating my kale! jerks) they just multiply
1 apid x my kale = hella aphids
so as we see in ourselves and nature
there were fewer of us and things
now there are more of us and things
shit dies to but, not as fast

 

(2) social - sense of community
we migrated to people and stay in groups
as do other animals and plants
some of this is just nature
some of this is social - common cultures, age groups, genders, etc.
gathering with likeness is common and comforting
its gives us something to relate too
chinatown
old folks home

(3) creative - because visually, it is stunning
hundred of things coming together to become one thing
its where complexity and minimalism meet
it makes something so intricate in number but so simple in form

 

(4) something about space and the universe/the unknown
space
its infinite to us
we cant count all the stars and they are millions of miles away
those numbers can not be broken down or distinguished in our minds
but we can grasp the idea of the universe, its a lot of one thing condensed into a concept
the idea that we are comprised of, surrounded by and submerged in a lot of one thing is my muse

a lot of one thing
its simple but, its complicated in its execution
it allows us to relate to something with multiple scales
its a way for the human mind to make sense of a large number

Let iheartmies keep you cool too:

photos

etsy

music

The Ceiling Forest

I cannot really tell you why I decided to create a forest on my bedroom ceiling, but all of the sudden the idea took hold and I just wanted to see it.  I think it began with looking up in the morning when my eyes were cloudy from sleeping...maybe lamenting the limited wall real estate in my tiny apartment....perhaps wishing there were something more interesting to gaze at while falling asleep or waking up.  Call it obsession, call it inspiration, it seized me.  So I began experimenting with different kinds of trees and finally landed on making my own out of red and gold rice paper.  Individually they are beautiful....

And en masse they are mesmerizing....

Slowly I am taking over the entire ceiling....

One unexpected surprise is the way that the forest changes with the light.  The shadows cast themselves all over the ceiling.  Sometimes the lantern in the middle looks like the radiant center of the solar system.  When the lights are off and the candles are lit, the shadows stretch across the ceiling like sunset.

As it slowly spreads across the ceiling, I imagine little glens and stands will form, tiny house fairies and apartment elves will find homes....maybe the miniature forest will creep down the wall and spill out of the bedroom...inspiring ceilings all over the apartment to rebel against thier boring lot....defying popcorn paint and old lighting fixtures....installing beauty on every surface, no matter how neglected....