a few thoughts on echoes

today marks the beginning of our second week of the summer is... series at echoes.  have you been over to visit?  it's hard to know, now that we've turned off the comments.  i feel really good about the decision to turn the comments off - in hopes that you'll enjoy the four pieces together without feeling any obligation to comment.  (of course, if you want to comment, you can always click over to flickr to do so.)  in any case, without the comments, it's hard to know whether you've been visiting and whether you've been enjoying the series so far.  (have you?  i hope so.)

i'm enjoying echoes immensely.

 

i love collaborating with my talented friends.  i love the feeling of being immersed in a project that makes me feel like it's summertime (even before it really is summertime).  and i love thinking about what summer is for me. 

 

this summer, i'll be printing my echoes using a variety of monoprinting techniques.  i'm excited about the printing (i've been playing with monoprinting over the last few months, but have only recently had any success in achieving the effects i was hoping for), and also that my pieces for this summer's echoes project will be a series of sorts.  add to that the joy of printing on the porch in the sunshine, and it's all so good.

two final thoughts on the subject.

the first is that we hope (we wish, we want - really and truly) that you will join us in this summer of echoes by creating our own small artworks that capture bits of what summer is for you.  of course, photos are artworks - but we hope that you will pick up a paintbrush or colored pencils or crayons (or even a sharpie marker!) and make lines or colors or marks (or even words!) on a piece of paper to illustrate in some way what summer is for you.  and then!  and then we hope (and wish and want) that you will add those small artworks to the echoes flickr pool so that we can enjoy and appreciate and be inspired by how you capture those bits of what summer is for you.  (and so that we can feature your echoes pieces in our friday posts)  so play along, won't you?  it will be fun.  i promise.

and finally.  the icing on the cake for me?  i found this in my mailbox on friday:

 

heather's echoes this summer are postcards, and the first one was written to me!  and mailed to me!  (along with some other goodies!)  lucky lucky me!

Comments

[Tara Thayer]

I got one of those packages in the mail, too! And it was so lovely, all of it: the print I bought and all the extra touches.
You've encouraged me to try something new for summer is...I don't know if I'll be able to come up with something presentable, but I thank you for inspiring me to try.

[amisha]

i am excited and nervous about trying to join in with echoes this summer. excited because the pieces inspire me so, but very very nervous because i can't draw or paint or do much of anything that seems to involve color on paper. but i'm trying to get over the fear and just play, without worry or expectations.
xox

[sarah]

have loved the echoes series so far. yes, i always take a look.
i've done a couple photos with words. my mind is speeding these days with little time for some other art, but your words have made me think i need to slow down. summer will start next week for us, but only to face two extended family surgeries. maybe some paper & paints will be my *therapy*.
lovely post! xx

[erin]

ah!
i bought that daisy photo from heather for jane's room! it makes me smile knowing that it is in both of our houses. xo.

[Katie]

oh, beautiful stuff. I'll have to check out the series and maybe do some artwork of my own!

[mommycoddle]

i've been meaning to ask you about monoprinting and after reading your link, I still want to see more in person. and i love, love, love that first photo.

xo.

[gardenmama]

Lovely monoprint!
It has been so long since I have done it.
Such beauty in this space!

[Kendall Micayla]

such pretty pictures, and what a lovely package!!
tag, youre it!! play along if you want to!
http://color-eye-see.blogspot.com/2009/06/little-bit-alright-more-like-lot.html
xo-kendall