dotty seiter: now playing diary of an artist at work

Who Is the Fairest of Them All?

on reflection 

norton pond mirrors
the sky. 
                 inside the cabin,
above the divan, 
on the wall, mirror mirrors
norton pond and mirrored sky.

—dotty seiter

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Keep Myself Challenged
2.25 x 3″; watercolor, pencil, and collage on paper
paper-tile unit from a living work in progress
2026

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Notes about poem and art:
• One way this tanka invited me to “keep myself challenged” was by breaking one of its lines in two and typing the two parts with nonstandard alignment. Its playful arrangement mirrors the word play it holds.
• I have so enjoyed developing the paper-tile units comprising this larger work in progress. The process is very focused and calming as I Keep Myself Challenged by combing through my collections of both hand-painted paper scraps and printed matter to find just the right touches to add visual interest to each tile. I worked on this one in a snippet of early-morning time when our home, full of family, had not yet got in gear for the day.

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Dotty Seiter

2 responses to “Who Is the Fairest of Them All?”

  1. carol lee Avatar
    carol lee

    Love how you challenge yourself in your poetry. I love how mirrors holds the whole piece together, the lake a mirror that mirrors itself on the inside mirror above the divan!

    All artwork is a challenge! The moment you put down a mark you have created something that has to be dealt with… on so on…. until you say its done! Each small piece an entity in itself! Love the gentle movements!

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    Reply
    1. Dotty Seiter Avatar
      Dotty Seiter

      Thank you for your support of my continuing to challenge myself with poetry. I have been LOVING the challenge and learning curve for these past 15 months—so much to learn and practice. This week has been intense, with two 2-hour zoom classes from two different poets, one Wednesday and one yesterday. This mirrors tanka was fun! It kept me challenged in playful ways while keeping within its compact form.

      Indeed, all artwork is a challenge! Thanks for noticing the “gentle movements” in this paper tile and for noting that each small piece is an entity in itself. Yes, and yes!

      Liked by 1 person

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My Story

In 2014, I grab an unexpected opportunity to paint.

To make art.

I get hooked.

In 2015 I start a blog—a diary of my life as an artist.

I post my paintings and their stories. The good, the bad, the ugly.

My compass points: bust through fear, be playful, get messy, trust my gut.

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