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.
May 2
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.
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.
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.
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.