丸 Maru: Goldfish CIRCLES The Final PART III

Did you miss PART I: The Body and Kimono? LINK HERE 

PART II: The Circles LINK HERE

PART III 丸 Maru: Goldfish

THE MINDSET

It has been a month since my last post about Maru 丸 and her process, and I find my spirit has become more aware of how I process and create my work. That is the beauty of art. It touches all of us.

The act of creating enriches our soul—if we let it. Beautiful things can happen if we fully engage with our craft, and I am not talking about just the end result. If captivated by our hearts, the piece will turn out magnificently without force or control. It is the deep love or passion of how we are creating.

The more I create, the more I must. It is my voice, and how clear and passionate it is completed depends on how engaged I am with the process, to begin with! And that is the beauty of the circle.

Once completed, it represents wholeness. There is now no beginning or end.

As an artist, I may not remember how I started my project, but when it is completed, I stand back and marvel at how this happened? That is the beauty of art. It has come through you, through your heart.

THE PROCESS

The Underskirt

The underskirt is an important part of this process. So much of art is based on intuitive feeling. For me, the fabric's visual and tactile touch lets me know if it is right for that part of the costuming.

This is what happened with the underskirt. Many years ago, I was gifted a vintage Vietnamese silk blouse. I had used a small section for another piece, but I knew this was exactly what I wanted for the underskirt.

The issue was that it had already been cut and shaped into a blouse.

This means I needed to disassemble it and cut it into squared-off pieces, estimating the length and width required. I had just enough!

All pieces are sewn back together to form one solid piece.

The lining is an orange silk dupioni.

The end product was exactly what I wanted!

I hope you understand that the engagement in the process made this piece "feel" different. 

Each vintage piece, such as my kimonos, has the lingering happy energy of the last maker. I can feel and see it in the stitches as I remove them. It is a beautiful connection that carries in all its fullness to my piece.

THE DRESSING OF 丸 Maru: Goldfish CIRCLES

The act of engaging through the heart

 is the act of creating.

Much Love,

Leslie

I plan on being very busy creating in 2025!

New collector pieces and new workshops.

Visit my website below for more Collector creations and workshops.

丸 Maru: Goldfish CIRCLES PART II

Did you miss PART I: 

The Body and Kimono? LINK HERE

PART II: CIRCLES

 

MESSAGE THROUGH SYMBOLISM

Ideas are fluid. My art must have a foundation, something to ground it. The joy is in the unspoken, as in symbolism; perhaps you may consider it a spirituality. It has a strong underlying message that helps support and guide the piece as I design and create.

What is it about circles? It is my favorite shape.

Circles, a shape found in all stages of humanity and across worldwide cultures, are timeless symbols. They represent infinity, unity, the life cycle, wholeness, completion, and divinity, and connecting humankind to each other.

The enso ('circle') is a profound Japanese symbol that holds a special place in my heart. The enso is the revelation of a world of the spirit without beginning and end. The Zen circle of enlightenment reflects that transforming experience—perfectly empty yet completely full, infinite, shining brightly like the moon-mind of enlightenment, inspiring us with its profound spiritual depth and connecting us to a higher purpose.

Why did I bring the symbol of the Circle, 丸 Maru, into this piece?

This creation has three distinct circles, all interconnected and related to Body, Mind, and Spirit. To me, this is about creating art. We need all to be connected and (fairly) in balance to create at our highest level.

BODY

金魚 goldfish

It can swim upstream against all odds and know when to flow with the current.

-warmth and friendship -calmness and serenity -transformation -strength

MIND

丸 maru circle

It has no starting point and never truly ends. 

-infinity -divine perfection -unity and wholeness -protection -connection to the divine

SPIRIT

水 water spirit

This piece was created during the season of water.  2024.

She is one of sharing emotional depth, strong intuition, and a capacity for deep empathy and connection.

Goldfish = flow + Circle = connection to the Divine + Water = intuition/empathy.

In other words, our connection to the Divine comes through intuition and empathy, which allow the idea to flow through us. There is no starting point and no end point.

THE PROCESS

Understanding the foundation of the message leads to understanding the process of creating art.

While the message can have many layers, the process also needs to be clear.

Circles

It starts with Japanese mulberry paper. I loved this because of the circles already present and the sheerness.

Dyeing. I used watercolor inks, alcohol inks, and mixtures of Procion dyes.

Once dry, I used vintage kimono silk to back the circles.

This was adhered to the paper. Limited with the silk, I placed a puzzle of strips into place.

Embroidered vintage trim was then dyed to create a variance in color.

Before:

During:

After:

Once all was dry, the paper was cut into different-sized circle shapes.

The circles were removed from the line of the trim.

Little drops of "water" (crystals) were added randomly to all the pieces.

I wanted these to flow down the opening of the kimono gown.

The (general) layout is shown from smallest to largest.

Tiny gathers created "movement" in the circles.

Each was added separately to ensure the flow was beautiful

Close-up of circles.

Note the (dyed) medallions on the kimono balanced in color with the paper/silk circles!

I have been experimenting with different techniques with inks, and thought circles would be a nice "card" to include for the collector!

Front and back are shown.

Next Week: Undergown, Hat, 
and Full Reveal!

Much Love-Leslie

Visit my website below for more Collector creations and workshops.