Methodical Madness

In order to maintain my equilibrium, I periodically find it helpful to engage in methodical activities like pulling weeds, painting 'barn quilts' or hanging clothes on a clothesline. I find a calmness in the activity. My brain gets a rest and afterward I can head back into a deeper and more demanding art project with restored and refreshed vision.

Yesterday, my husband and I had a visit from our old friend Robin. Drummer. Poet. Leather artist. Gentle soul. Not 30 seconds into the visit (theres no small talk with Robin), we were off on discussions about creativity which eventually led to the artistic benefits of methodical activity. 

I discovered that he, too, finds hanging clothes on a line is one of his favourites. Currently, he is engaged in a love affair with his frozen, twisted pieces of clothing that he has left on the line for a long period of time this winter. He finds the beauty in th twists and curves of the fabric. I get it, but I'm more of a warm weather clothesline enthusiast. I love to see the sheets flapping and snapping in the wind. And, oh, how glorious bedding smells that has been dried outside! But that's another story...

Clothesline Wars

Awhile ago, I heard a CBC radio newscast saying that somewhere in suburban Canada, outdoor clotheslines were being banned. It seems that the folks living in this area were offended at the sight of their neighbours 'undies' billowing in the breeze. At first I laughed out loud, but then, I felt astonished that in a world rife with problems, why would anyone get their 'bloomers in a knot' (pun intended) over such a triviality?

CBC recommended that, in protest, all listeners across our nation who are passionate about their right to hang laundry in the fresh air, do a load of washing, hang it on their clothesline, photograph said clothesline, and send it to them. So I did just that; it was amazing how many others did the same.

It seems that people are very partial to this activity and would defend their right to it with gusto! (Living in Podunk, I have no worries about a law like this encroaching on my rights.) So, I decided to take the idea a step further and eventually developed a series of drawings called Clothesline Wars.  The series deals with how differing personalities would exercise civil disobedience and break the law to hang their clothing 'plein air'. (I wonder if Monet enjoyed his clothesline?)

The following are images of the two of the drawings that were the final result of 36 developmental sketches. The Peacemaker sits naked in her backyard with laundry strewn over the shrubbery, the Mercenary stands guard as a hired gun for her neighbour.

If you have any methodical madness ideas that work for you, please share them here.

​Until next time.