back to the point
I’m back to tell you that the fence turned into a fish.
Not only that. A dragonfly landed on the porch. Seemed like a good time for me to come out of hibernation.
Back with more soon, I promise.
Posts from the ‘Art’ Category
May 2
2 Comments
other art in the neighbourhood
I guess you could say we live in a fairly artsy neighbourhood. Well, there are a few adjectives that describe our neighbourhood – I’ve also heard ‘eccentric’ used quite frequently.
One of the nice things about having a baby in a stroller is that it gives you permission to say things like “What’s this, then?” out loud when you’re walking down the street, and not seem like a crazy person. (I’m quite certain I won’t be able to break the habit of saying things out loud when I no longer have a small child keeping me company, and will then officially join the other “eccentrics” in the neighbourhood, but for now, I’m just an observant mother pointing out things of interest to her offspring.) Yesterday, this giant purse on a lawn was the main item of interest. Clearly more so to me than to my 13 month-old, who, I’m thinking at this stage of life doesn’t understand that giant purses on lawns aren’t the norm. For all she knows, some giantess carefully deposited it before hopping down the street for a swim in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
We were on our way to pick up my eldest from her bus stop. I hadn’t dropped her off in the morning, so I didn’t know if the giant purse was a new installation or not.
I love the daily stroll home from the bus stop. Often we stop in at our favourite little grocery store for an after-school snack, and we have good chats. Yesterday the shop was stocking treats made by Cold Comfort, a local artisan ice cream maker. We munched on the too-good-to-resist-even-in-cooler-weather coffee ice-cream sandwiched between two vanilla bean macarons as we approached the giant purse.
G: What’s that?
Me: Oh, that’s a giant purse. Wasn’t it there this morning?
G: No. That’s definitely new.
We then stopped to chat with another art admirer, discuss how it was made, and take a few photos. I made G stand next to the bag for perspective, not that it was really necessary with the houses right behind. After a few minutes we went on our way, the poor baby silently signing “more” as we strolled, because we were in the habit of buying fresh blackberries at the store and feeding them to her on the way home, but blackberry season is over, and we weren’t sharing our Cold Comfort. Conversation turned back to the ice cream.
G: Is that all she (Ms. Cold Comfort) does – make ice cream?
Me: No, I think she works at Fol Epi too.
G: (Gasp.) Best. Life. Ever.
I couldn’t disagree.
fence art
The fence is everchanging. Little panels change here and there. Sometimes we notice straight away, sometimes we don’t. I think the star flower piece is one of my all time favourites. I’m not sure this was an intended function of this particular sculpture, but it makes me happy when I walk past it.
the dodo returns
Since abandoning the popular but short-lived blog Do and Road, people often ask me if Jack still draws dodos. Oh yes, he does. He also draws a lot of Star Wars and Greek Myth themed drawings, but Do and Road do still feature quite frequently in the sketch books. Since their last online appearance, Do and Road have had many adventures. This particular drawing was done just before the school year started, testing out the brand new box of markers that had just been purchased as part of the school supplies.
Earlier this month, Jack asked if I would sit and draw with him. I sat down and tried to sketch the kitten who was playing nearby. Cats are very hard to draw. Then I attempted a quick sketch of the front entrance. I realized I really hadn’t drawn anything in a very long time. Shortly after that session I spotted Drawing with Children on display at the library (does anyone else ever find something serendipitous about library displays? It’s similar to the way you’ll learn a new word, and then come across it several times over the next few days.) I’ve had the book out for two weeks now, and haven’t managed to get very far into it, but have hopes of trying out some of the exercises with the kids soon. I will report on any developments.
fish
I had forgotten about the crazy mess one year-olds create. We have a high threshold for disorder in this household. Every room in this home is truly a living room, and when we walk through the house we take care to step over the flotsam and jetsam of childhood – books, pictures, lego, etc.
But the one year-old mess is not the same as objects that someone has neglected to put away once they’ve finished with them. The one year-old is discovering where things are, where they can go, what they can do. The spaghetti box comes out of the cupboard and each strand is pulled out piece by piece. Some are licked, some are snapped in half. All end up on the floor. The toilet paper unravels into a heap on the bathroom floor each time you visit that room. All this is tolerated because it buys you time while you wash the dishes, or brush your teeth, but also so as not to put a damper on the one year-old’s spirit of discovery. It does however mean that an awful lot of time is spent picking things up.
When the chaos on the ground becomes too much I look at the walls. There’s always something pleasant to look at there. The fish is peaceful, unperturbed, uncluttered…
I will be like the fish. I will swim with determination. Clearer waters are ahead.
scribe and carpenter 