Blind Perfectionist

"Blind Perfectionist," Laura Tringali Holmes 2012
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Paper collage with décollage and in-place acrylic-gel transfers on 8 x 10 canvas board
with pencil and marker
 Papers: 1930s sales receipt; 1923 Speedwriting Shortland Dictionary; 1978 A Field Guide  to the Nests,
Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds; Irving Berlin Songbook; other papers 1800s - 1980s.
 

Many moons ago I was quite the perfectionist, but no more. Perfectionism is a righteous place in which to dwell. It's so utterly morally unshakeable. So judgmental. So paralyzing in its detail. So...blinding.

I changed up my ways thanks to an online housekeeping column, written by Marla Cilley, which I started to read when I sunk to the bottom of the barrel of overwhelment by the act of single-mothering three children.

Marla's advice was that it was better to take a lick at a snake than to sit there in paralysis and allow oneself to be bitten.

This piece is about taking a lick at the snake, and about the smoke and mirrors of the details of perfectionism.

Hope you enjoy. And thanks, as always, for listening.

p.s. In case you don't follow regularly, the "how to make a gel transfer" tutorial appears a few blogs ago, here: http://lauratringaliholmes.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-make-gel-transfer.html

Update September 5, 2012:

This collage, "Blind Perfectionist," was given a Daily Deviation Award on 9-5-2012 at the site where I keep my gallery (http://lauratringaliholmes.deviantart.com/). I've received a slew of favorable comments, including some from artists who typically don't much like collage. I feel great about the approval, but also great about turning people on to the boundlessly expressive medium that is collage.

This is what the site says about the Daily Deviation choice process:

"The Daily Deviation is a daily feature chosen from the galleries here on deviantART. A small assortment of submissions are chosen each day by a select group of staff/volunteer members who wish to showcase an image which they found impressive or otherwise interesting enough to deserve being brought to the attention of the community-at-large."

I am honored by the recognition and deeply grateful.