Messy Masterpiece Underway

The colorful trunk of our Poetree is taking shape.

Warning! This is a work in progress....and we don't have to tell you that a certain amount of mess is involved in making any masterpiece. 

What you see here, believe it or not, is the trunk of a Poetree in the works. Since four imaginative artists are creating this project together, it has shape-shifted a few times already in its short life span. 

As the centerpiece of our group show (Beyond Words, opening May 9), the Poetree will stand over six feet tall and have branches reaching overhead and roots spreading out below. We want to create a space for visitors to pause and reflect on what they have experienced while viewing the show.

What the Poetree has already taught us is that collaboration among creatives can lead to surprising results....and that the road to completion is always made better with humor, trust,  and patience.  
MK Shaw

And so we began....

I grew up with words, with books, with stories and pictures filling my soul with beauty and longing.  I grew up reading poetry in the crook of a weeping willow tree whose branches fell to the ground making a tent for my imagination and the echo of the sound of my small voice.  I grew up loving the sound and feel of words and believing that words make a difference.  I grew up longing to find a space, a place, a tiny creative corner that needed only me to fill it.

As Anne-Marie, MK, Shari and I began to meet together to discuss our desire to form a creative collaborative, I began to see the possibilities that my longing for a creative tribe was finally being realized. Here were the hearts and souls who had a space for me, a place to share my words, thoughts and ideas, a place to flesh out my words with paints and paper, with canvas and collage, with tree bones and treasures.  It is with great joy that I share my first post on the Poets & Painters blog.  I hope that you will be encouraged to find your own tribe and to create from that deep space in your soul that rings with the sound of tinkling bells, leaves whispering softly and the rhythmic pounding of the drum.  The place where you hear your own voice calling you to trust yourself and those in your creative tribe.

Poets & Painters

February 18^th, 2013

And so we take our first steps –

the four of us and our mascot,

Penelope, a small, blown glass pig

with pink wings to remind us that we’ll fly.

In Greek her name ‘pene’ means the

horizontal threads or weft of a

tapestry and ‘ops’ which means

the face and eye.  Our journey

will be one of discovering

and weaving the threads of our

four gifts together to create

a tapestry that will reveal the

brilliant colors of our wild souls.

 

Where'd You Get Those Shoes?

"Goody-Two Shoes" by Shari Sherman ©2014

 

 

Inspired by a pair of painted shoes by MK Shaw, our group of Poets & Painters decided that  it would be fun to create painted shoes to wear at our Beyond Words show (May 2015). Here are mine, almost finished. Goody-two shoes...a name I've been called more than once in my life. I'm finally to a point where I am able to embrace that label! I can hear Adam Ant every time I put these on..."Ya don't drink, don't smoke, what do ya do?"  Apparently, I make Art!--Shari Sherman
 



Sneak Peek

Here's just a peek at one of the pieces that will appear in our show "Beyond Words" in May 2015. It is inspired by a poem by Antonio Machado and refers to the secret aqueduct in his heart. More to come!
-MK Shaw

In the beginning...

Where did this creative tribe get its start? Where most great ideas do...among friends. The four artists who belong to Poets & Painters found one another thanks to fate, serendipity, and the art gods. We are 100% grateful for the aligning of the stars that brought us together. 

In 2012, Anne-Marie and MK began to meet together to encourage one another in our art journeys. Soon, Elle joined us and her gifts as a poet inspired our group name. In 2013, Shari completed our foursome.

As we met around Anne-Marie's dining room table (the site of so many important milestones), it became clear that our collective talent and vision needed a concrete outlet. Our inaugural show, "Beyond Words" is slated for May 2015 and is the culmination of several years of work, inspiration, and group effort. 

Make no mistake, our group is evidence that the combined energy of four artists is a force to be reckoned with. It is our desire to inspire others to follow their dreams, cultivate their passions, and realize their goals.