Friday, November 1, 2013

Artistic Interpretations with Margaret - "Maria Wulf's Visual Poems"

Welcome.   I, Margaret Bednar, am hosting another "Artistic Interpretations" challenge and am excited to share with you an artist I recently stumbled upon.  This challenge is quite unique - I've never seen one like it - and at first it seems hard as it makes one listen and feel in a slightly different way, but I believe the Toad's and its followers are wildly creative.

Maria Wolf of "Full Moon Fiber Art" is a fiber artist who lives on Bedlam Farm with her husband, writer John Katz.  I see no evidence she has written poems, but I was intrigued when I saw her "My Visual Poems" on her blog header.  I find them to be mini journeys (sometimes a bit surreal), snippets of images and sounds linked together offering impressions.  All inspire and celebrate Maria's artistic view of the world - whether it is creating from found objects or just enjoying the land, the seasons.

Of sixty-one YouTube clips, I selected twelve highlighting moments on the farm and in nature.  Please only use the ones I selected as I didn't ask if the entire "collection" was available to us.

As you play these short video clips, listen to the sounds of what you don't see, live in the moment, feel the emotions (or memories) they conjure AND WRITE ABOUT IT in any poetic form you choose, free verse, haiku - it's wide open.

For this challenge I require a new poem in response to Maria's Visual Poems.   Feel free to write more than one poem, also feel free to link late - this upcoming "Open Link Monday" is dedicated to poems about peace - see yesterdays post - but feel free to link to the following (November 11th) Open Link Monday with this challenge.  I realize we all get busy, and "later"is better than not at all.

You may embed these videos on your blog - either way, please credit Maria Wolf and her "Full Moon Fiber Art" blog for the inspiration.

Please link with your specific poem for this challenge to "Mr. Linky" located at the bottom of this post. Thank you, and I look forward to your artistic interpretations.

(If for any reason you have trouble viewing the videos here, you can go directly to her YouTube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/mariawulf  or click HERE.  The videos are under the names I have printed below.

READ THE FOLLOWING ONLY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING THE VIDEO APPEAR ON YOUR BLOG:  (I did my computer-illiterate best to make it clear - sorry if it confuses you more :)

If you need to view the video again, just click on the back arrow key.  If you want to embed, click on the YouTube icon.  Then click on "Share".  Two options for blogger are available:

1) Click the Blogger Icon (I don't see wordpress) and be SURE to select the correct blog you want it to be posted in - (look in the upper right hand corner) as many of us have more than one blog!  Then you just need to go in and edit at your own blog by adding your poem.

2)  You can also click on "Share" and either "Share this Video" which will give you a link that you copy and paste, or "Embed" which again, you will copy and paste. (Be sure to switch to the "html" mode when embedding a video - do not stay on "compose:.  Once the code is there, click back to "compose" mode and you should see it).  If you want to make the video smaller, which I did, when you click "Embed" below the code is a "Video size".  It should be on "custom" and I entered "460" in the first rectangle and it does the rest.

Of course, just copy and pasting Maria's video channel is OK to.  http://www.youtube.com/user/mariawulf?feature=watch  or HERE

"Tucking in the Chickens"




"Heat"



"Spring Shadows"



"Pieces of Myself, In the Wind"



"Waiting"



"Shadow and Rose"



"Bucket of Water"



"Oh Spring"



"Culvert"



"Sunflower Song"



"Visiting with the Sheep"




"Morning Chickens"



21 comments:

Margaret said...

I know this is rather unique - I hope you embrace the videos and enjoy this challenge!

Kay L. Davies said...

What a wonderful, novel, and beautiful idea, Margaret. I hope I am able to work with this challenge.
K

Susan said...

Hi Margaret--the beautiful collage of clips that played while I was writing this ekphrasis did not embed in my blog no matter how hard I tried. I watched the "Sunflower" playlist (see the visual clues in the poem). And going to Youtube compounded the mystery, because clips didn't play in the same order--which would be lovely if I hadn't a certain thing in mind. Trust a stage director to be picky. If you know how to adjust this, let me know, otherwise, add my poem to a surreal All-Saints Day! Thanks.

Margaret said...

Susan - I added "how to" instructions to the end of the post. I assume you already know how to do this - but I thought some might not.

As far as the order, when you are at her channel, the videos appear in the upper right side and you can cursor to find the one you want to view . Does that help? I'm off to read yours now. :)

Susan said...

I think I got the entire playlist this time! Thanks.

humbird said...

I understand why you said about couple poems...Lots of inspiration! Thanks, Margaret! Now it's only ...to have enough time...

Kerry O'Connor said...

These snippets of farm life are wonderfully evocative. I just hope the donkey is okay in "A bucket of water".

Thank you for this innovative prompt, Margaret, and many thanks to Maria Wolf for allowing us the use of her visual art for our poetry.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

These are lovely, and inspiring. I have read everything in print about Bedlam Farm and Jon's love affair with his sheep dogs.........cool to see his wife's art featured here. I will be back! Great prompt, Margaret. And you gave us a lot of selections to choose from.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Not sheep dogs - border collies that HERD the sheep.

Margaret said...

Sherry - I should have known you would be familiar with Jon Katz :) I'm glad you rallied and wrote a poem, as I know you have been under the weather lately. Off to read your poem now.

Ella said...

I am gathering ideas-thank you Margaret for sharing Maria with us~
I am excited :D

Hannah said...

I really enjoyed these!! I had a hard time choosing one...I might need to come back! Thank you Margaret and Maria! :)

Susie Clevenger said...

What a lovely challenge Margaret. I am late getting started, so I will view them and see what my muse speaks.

Kerry O'Connor said...

I woke up with a poem waiting to be written - and that hasn't happened to me for a long time.

Many thanks.

Ella said...

Thank you Margaret and Maria!!

I have to go to a band competition, but will return to read all of these wonders~

Sumana Roy said...

Wonderful prompt Margaret..... so inspiring....I had some enjoyable moments.....

Unknown said...

I don't know why I had such a tough time with this one. I like the idea of "Visual Poetry" though and as usual you Toads came up with some amazing poetry.

Margaret said...

Thank you ALL for participating. I know this prompt and many others I have posted are really a lot of work to fit into a 24 hour period.

I loved them all and I think you guys are AMAZING!

Anonymous said...

Cool prompt, Margaret - I apologize for not finding the words to participate ~

Marian said...

finally! thank you for this very interesting prompt, Margaret. :)

Margaret said...

Marain - sorry it took me so long to read your beautiful poem!