A couple of years ago I attended a workshop at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts (in Maine). Haystack offers intensive studio-based workshops in a variety of craft media: clay, glass, metals, paper, fiber, weaving, blacksmithing and more.  After my bookmaking class ended one day, I wandered next door to see what the students in the fiber class were doing.  They’d all been altering fabric and some of it was on display.  But what caught my attention – was this long sheet of kraft paper with words on it.  What were all these words?  There were so many of them.

These words…I was told…are some ways in which fabric can be altered.

I was amazed by that.  Who knew there were so many ways to alter fabric!

I wandered outside and found one artist burning her fabric with a lit incense stick.  Her placement of the burns on the muslin made the fabric look like lace. It was beautiful.  Burned and beautiful.

They were about to throw the list away and I asked if I could have it.

I wanted/needed the reminder that there really are no limitations when it comes to art.

I found the list today while going through a box of ephemera – I’d forgotten I’d had it and was really glad I’d kept it…I decided it needed to be hung on the wall where I could see it.  Even though I’m not working in fiber (well, not this week anyway!)…I thought it would apply to any area of art…

“No excuses!”.