As you can tell from the picture of my work table, not too much art making has been happening in the studio this month. August has been filled with little girls and little girl stuff. By the end of the day, my brain has been too frazzled to do much more than stare at the tv or pretend to read a book or play mindless games on my iPad. If anything - emails, art, phone calls, etc. - has required more than sound bite time, well...it just hasn't gotten done. My apologies to those to whom communications are due...they will come soon.
So...have you figured out what happens on Wednesday? I'll give you a hint.
August 29th = more studio time
Got it now? August 29 is the first day of school in our town. The little urchins are 5 and that means...a drum roll, please....KINDERGARTEN!!!! ALL DAY KINDERGARTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can you tell I'm the least bit excited by this? Horrible mother, right?
Back to sound bites - it's not entirely true to say that no art type activities have taken place in the studio this month. Rather nothing requiring a lot of focused time. The second book of tea has been started. Care for a sneak peak?
The wrapped white stones are not part of the book. Sorry to disappoint. They are a gift from Fiona and are wrapped with threads from Habu. Their placement on the tea and rust dyed pages seemed natural this morning and have produced a few what if's. Fitting. Thank you Fiona for such a lovely gift!
Remember, if you think you hear either far off maniacal laughter or one huge sigh of contentment around 7:30 am NYC time Wednesday, it's likely to be me after the little urchins have boarded the school bus as I stroll back into the studio for a bit of quality time.
Your Books of Tea are beautiful, Jennifer! I love those pages and it would be great if the stones could actually be part of them. They fit in so well.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ersi! The tea books are fun and easy to make. I am thinking a bit more about placement, etc. with this one than with the first. Fiona's wrapped stones do look great with the book, but will not become one with it. However, it has given me ideas for other pieces to create.
ReplyDeleteLove this Book of Tea...! And, yes, Fiona's stones look great there, glad that combination is giving you ideas, I look forward to seeing. My August has been rather full of a lot, but not of studio time. I return to teaching on Monday :(
ReplyDeleteThank you for you lovely words Valerianna. Fiona's stones do look at home on the tea/rust dyed pages. So much so that I need to figure out a way to include similar ones in a book or on a mounted piece.
DeleteI hope your classes are well attended and filled with students eager to learn and share in the creative journey. Enjoy!
I am soooo looking forward to 6 September when our schools go back. At last I will be able to get to the computer and workroom in peace. there must be lots of bad mothers out there too! Love the beautiful tea book.
ReplyDeleteOooh! September 6 is just around the corner! I'll be listening for the sigh of contentment from your direction then. Yes, there are plenty of bad mothers around the world who revel in the first day of school. I'm lucky to live in a town that went to 4 full day/1 short day of kindergarten last year. Where we used to live in Virginia, it's still only 3 hour shifts.
DeleteNeedless to say, I did a little happy dance upon learning that our town had expanded the time. And, no doubt, I'll dance all the way back to the house come Wednesday morning. Woohoo!
Oh Jennifer, I laughed and laughed as I read of your pending excitement - it must have been quite the month! I shall keep an ear out on the 29th, I think that is about 9.30pm our time so I might just hear an echo. The little pebbles do look at home with the tea pages, I look forward to seeing where to from here with them.
ReplyDelete2 more sleeps.
I imagine several were enjoying a good laugh at my enthusiasm for the first day of school...as they should. In past years, we've had the girls in summer camp at their preschool all summer. This year, that changed since they'd graduated preschool. July was filled with art camp and swim lessons. August was originally to be filled with a couple of family trips, but that changed due to my husband traveling for work. So...August has been all little urchins 24/7. My brain needs a rest. And the studio is beginning to develop a lovely layer of dust.
DeleteTWO MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even "big (21 yr old) boys" take time away fr the studio...Aaron went back to school yesterday. I hope to get back in the studio soon...lots of teaching and lecturing this past month. Congrats on another milestone!
ReplyDeleteAnd how would Aaron take being called a big boy rather than a young man? Ha! I've been wondering how the room divider was working downstairs. Did it offer enough privacy for both of you? Did you enjoy listening to his tv shows, etc or did you give him the space instead?
DeleteNot this week, but soon we need to Skype and really catch up. Enjoy!
After raising 3 sons who are now grown up and college graduates... I still remember the day EACH one of them went to school full time.. each time was a celebration and out to lunch day. And I have been to Habu in NYC... wonderful little shop.
ReplyDeleteThree? I have the utmost admiration for anyone who has more than two children. I love my little urchins, but they fry my brain like nothing else can.
DeleteI'm all set to skip or dance into the studio tomorrow after they board the bus, but a little part of me thinks a tear or two just might be shed at this momentous occasion. Pictures will be taken and posted on my other blog.
Habu is a wonderful little shop, filled with all sorts of treasures. Did you take any Habu home with you?
J- I just have to agree with Fiona - I had to have a big laugh - bad, bad, bad mummy!!!! It is amazing just how much time child raising can take - so I think it is a lovely thing that it is shared in the community (read kindergarten) and you have more time for creating - looking forward to seeing how you use these precious moments (no pressure mind you). Go well. b
ReplyDeleteGlad I could provide you with a good laugh Barry. Thanks for the one you gave me with your words. Yes...bad, bad, bad mummy. That is me alright. Well, that's how I think of myself because I know that 80-90% of the time, my brain is thinking about art and what could be happening in the studio...
DeleteNo pressure, huh? Phew! Thanks. Still...there is all the fabric that was rusted during the winter and the papers to play with... Stay tuned. I may actually finish a few pieces. Enjoy!
I hope you are having a lovely Wednesday morning.... My youngest daughter headed to her first day of Grade 12 (Senior Year) this morning. The older one is still in bed, as she doesn't head to University (4000 miles away!) until the weekend.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your book of tea. I have pieces of one to put together, but they are not as lovely as yours... still waiting to see how they are supposed to come together. The rocks are also beautiful.
Enjoy your day!
Kim, I had a most lovely Wednesday. Began readying the studio for work. Need to find the bottom of my work table before anything interesting can happen in here.
DeleteGrade 12 and university...wow! My husband commented the other day about retirement. Ha! His retirement days will be spent paying for 2 college tuitions. Yep. We started a bit in the family business.
Glad you like the tea book. I'm having fun with them. Need to find a place to order more...these first two blank journals were purchased at the Tate in London.
I love what you're doing with tea bags too. Usually sit and ooh and aah over them, unable to form intelligent thought cause they've rendered me speachless. Enjoy!
lovely
ReplyDeleteover here
as always...
*sigh*
:-)
ok,
that was me resting
in a place of quiet calm...
now,
off to my own studio
for a painting afternoon!
no kid*rocks
around for disruptions...
just Normal Everyday Workmen
doing repair
work...
Thank you, my dear!
DeleteGlad to know you're safe
and fairly dry down there
in your studio as you
paint away.
No kids does indeed rock!
The person they know as mom
can get back to being herself/myself now.
What a delicious feeling...