Project #25: Polka Dot Birdie Love

“My life is a dot lost amongst thousands of other dots.”
~ Yayoi Kusama

Project #25: Polka Dot Birdie Love

On with Project #25 in my 52-week felt craft project, I guess it was out of curiosity of what an impulsive (and a rare one, at that) buy like this could lead me to creating that ended up in my purchase of this adorable polka dot felt fabric.

Of course, in all my excitement of stitching the separate pieces together, I missed out marking the beginning of the neck (lesson learnt: accuracy is key) when stitching the felt for the ‘stomach’ or underside of the birdie in contrasting colour,
ending up with a rather strange-looking birdie that admittedly looks like a cross between a birdie, a whale …and a whistle. Hmm.

Well, I still do love the teardrop-shaped wings on this first felt birdie I have attempted.
And of course, the polka dot pattern does lend a huge hand in saving this project so I am thankful for that.

On the topic of the polka dot, penning this post also led to a rather interesting discovery of Yayoi Kusama, the artist known for immortalizing the polka dot in her sometimes controversial works set in various media, shared by fans of her work including merincognito in her lovely post on the inspiring artist. (Thank you!)

What I admire most in Yayoi Kusama’s creative process would of course be how it does indeed seem to be her personal success in learning to harness her suffering and “channe[l] her [painful] past experiences” into her art as shared by Ms Francis Morris, the curator of the Yayoi Kusama exhibition (2012) at the Tate, here:

Yayoi Kusama Exhibition at the Tate (2012)

* * *

There is beauty in braving the storms that life brings our way
– I have learnt, especially in these last few years –

and there is beauty in the human courage we wield
to acknowledge and accept these times,

to hold on to hope,

to create beauty anew

or perhaps even spark a little inspiration in hearts

through the humble knowledge of the arts we are blessed with.

* Stay awesome, Yayoi Kusamasan! *

Project #25: Polka Dot Birdie Love

And yep, I did it!♥