First Things First

I finished another sample yesterday: This little papermache box is going to be the main project of the "Ndebele Houses" art camp. I think, I went a little bit overboard with the details considering the age group of my students (8-11). On the other side I have seen my students do amazing things as soon as they understand the concept and techniques. And, especially in this age group, they love to get lost in details.
 
There is going to be a third project, an Ndebele Doll, which is going to be small or even tiny, depending on how much time we'll have left before the camp week is over. I can't worry about that one today though, as I need to spend some time with a dog.

Objective: design a bulldog sculpture.
Overall goal: be selected and win $1000.
Deadline: today at 5pm.
That gives me six hours. Okay, let's make some coffee.

Warm-up

I have been spending the last few days on making samples for my summer camps. It's always good to have samples, even in situations when I seem to have an absolutely clear vision of the projects which I am planning to do with my students. In particular, I like to have a good idea of how long each step takes. Aha, cutting out those circles took me two minutes, in kids' time it would be ten minutes, okay. And sometimes the material that I had intended to use because it appeared to be just perfect, turned out to be completely unworkable. Oh, wow, this is hard to cut, this is ... really ... hard to cut. Okay, got it, now, let's glue it on, why won't it stick, oh c'mon now. That kind of thing. And then, when I have it all figured out, times, materials, techniques, tools, the result may look - sort of boring. That's the worst. Keeps me up all night, thinking hard.

Anyways, this is the little warm-up project that I am going to do in my "Ndebele Houses" camp: a simple mixed media 2-D project that will lay the ground for the next one, when we will create a small version of a 3-D Ndebele house (on the lid of a box) with its characteristic Ndebele painting. Of course, we will do a simplified version, as most Ndebele house paintings are quite complex and detailed.

In My Hair

I was about to get the huge pile of books from the passenger seat - my kids and I had just been to the library - when I felt a stinging something on my back. And then it was crawling upwards and I could tell it was a big something. Mona, is this a wasp on my back? Yes, it is, it's crawling into your shirt right know, oh no, now it's hiding in your hair. Excellent. I slowly went across the street to ask my neigbor to save my life and find the wasp. Et voila - the wasp was okay to come out and build her nest in somebody else's hair. Thank you.

Generally, I am kind of okay with critters of this sort, as long as they leave me alone and not constantly circle my head when I am sitting outside.

Baby Simba, made of an Elmo

Speaking of critters, the final Lion King Jr. performance was a few days ago, and now we are relaxing after a busy time of rehearsals and volunteering. Altogether it was a marvellous time, we enjoyed both the preparations and the actual performances. These kids were amazing in their roles, and you could tell how much harmony and excitement there was not only on stage but also among the crew and cast members and the parents. I felt that this was what "Community Theater" should be like, and it felt good to be a part of it.

"My" Elephand Graveyard

I helped a bit with the construction of the props, especially Baby Simba, and later painted parts of the set. It was fun, and very rewarding to see "my" elephant graveyard on stage. I never did set painting before, and I like to be challenged with oversized projects because I can use more practice with that.

Of course, my daughter was simply adorable in her ensemble and with this sweet Praying Mantis on her head. She hasn't stopped singing and dancing to Lion King tunes ever since. And my son loved it, too, as all our friends did who came to the performances.

Mona with her mantis. So much love and detail went into the costumes.

These are just some of the reasons why I would do something like this again, I mean, volunteering in this way and to this extent. I have done a lot of volunteering in my life - unfortunately, not every experience as a volunteer is rewarding like this one was. There is a German proverb which goes: "You give someone your pinky, and that someone will take your whole hand." Doesn't feel good when that happens one time too often.

So, I found it very touching to see the detailed thank-you note that the director had written and included in the printed program that was handed out to the audience before each show. Every helping hand and every effort, even the smallest one, was mentioned and described in detail and with sincere appreciation. I have never seen or received such a thoughtful thank-you note like this before. Thank you for this thank you. Thank you, and you are very welcome!

On Stage

Yesterday I went back to the stage to finish one of the set pieces for the Lion King musical. The elephant graveyard that I had started painting on Friday needed some shading and grass details, so I did that. 

My daughter's got a small part in the Lion King; she has no lines but nevertheless the time of her life. My husband was asked to take some pictures during today's dress rehearsals, and this way I was lucky to get a little preview of Mona dancing with a large but friendly looking praying mantis on her head. Who wouldn't love that.

Tomorrow, our family is going to see the show with Mona's performance for the first time, and we are quite thrilled. And before that, we are going to attend the opening reception of the "Peach Art Exhibition" for which I had submitted my "Undo" sculpture. The award winners will be announced during this event. Who knows, maybe I have a chance. It sure would be nice.

 

Give and Take

When I came into the kitchen yesterday to start the morning coffee, a fat roach was being there already. He was lying on its back, his little legs moving every now and then. The antennae were swaying in a more purposeful manner, catching signals of some sort. Fascinating. Now a quick slap with our professional heavy duty fly swatter, and that was it. Moving on.

Later, my kids found a dead bird in the front yard. It was a simple and honest looking bird, I don't know what kind, a pipit maybe or a thrush. Its brown eyes were wide open. It was sad to see this sweet little bird on the ground, the ants were already having a feast.

It reminded me of the dead squirrel that I picked up as a first-grader on my way to school. It was in Germany, we lived in a big industrial city. I always walked to school, together with my sister. We were passing a park on our way, and there was this small red squirrel laying on the lawn, so stiff already but incredibly fluffy looking, I couldn't resist to pick it up and bring the dead squirrel into the classroom. My teacher did not quite share my excitement yet she placed the corpse on some tissue and had the kids pass it around. My mom wouldn't allow me to keep the dead squirrel, and it ended up in one of the large metal garbage cans behind the apartment building.

Mona and Jacob were in the middle of preparing a burial for the bird when I left to paint an elephant graveyard for the Community Theater's Lion King production. I painted a big skull full of elephant memories onto the set piece where someone had already installed an impressive rib cage made from wired pool noodles.

It was past midnight when I came back home. The kids were curled up in their blankets as in cocoons, their faces hidden under all their hair. In the spirit of give and take, I think we all had a good day in this life.

Undo - Done!

This afternoon I dropped off my "Undo" sculpture for the "Peach Art Exhibition." It is an annual event, happening around the time when the "Peach Festival" is going on. And the Peach Festival is a celebration of, well, you've guessed it, of the most glorious fruit, which is the peach. This year the Peach Festival is going to be held as a memorial service as there are hardly any local peaches this year due to the very weird weather that we have been having here in Louisiana.

Anyways, the Peach Art Exhibition is a fine art show organized by the Arts Council, and people of all ages and of all experience levels are invited to compete. There are awards and prizes to win, and altogether it sounds like a lot of fun.

I have entered a sculpture. When I drove it to the venue, it was sitting next to me on the passenger seat with big pillows all around for padding. I didn't buckle it up, and the car didn't make that noise that it usually makes when something or someone is sitting there without the safety belt on. I guess, the car sensed that, in a way, the passenger was not really there. - I made a sculpture of my birth father who I never met.

I am not angry with him, and not disappointed, at least not anymore. I only wonder about him. I don't have a picture of him, don't know much about him. I know that he was there in my life very briefly and a very long time ago. And I was told that I got his blue eyes.

For "Undo" I made a solid paper mache torso. I wanted to give him a light weight to represent his minor presence in my life. I dressed him in an uncomfortable itchy jute sweater that is fitting like a straitjacket. He could unravel his restraint but decides not to.  This is how I am feeling about him, a father who has not brought himself to embrace his daughter.

"Undo"
Mixed Media: lunch bags and newspapers, wall-size, ink, acrylics, colored pencils, jute twine, nail, book clippings, old wooden container.

Looking good

Jacob read what I wrote last time about him being a stand-up comedian, and he said, yeah, you are right, only that I am more of a sit-down kind of comedian. Indeed, he likes to be comfortable, likes to unwind. When Jacob was just born and placed under the heating lamp, he tucked one of his little hands under his head and crossed his legs, ready to lounge. Well, he had to relax for sure, being born is no easy business.

Yesterday afternoon, while Mona was rehearsing her singing and dancing for next week's Lion King performances, Jacob and I were watching an episode of The  Amazing Gumball. A blue cat and his legged goldfish friend were interacting with an upside down human head dressed in old lady clothes from the nose down. There were two fake eyes on the chin above the solely exposed mouth. It was very weird and very terrific. Jacob likes that kind of thing, and so do I. Actually, all our family loves wacky stuff like that. This is one way how we get in touch with each other and lift each other's spirits.

For example, when I was looking for Mona's hairbrush this morning, I found it in her drawer with a friendly smile on its face. Thank you. Good Morning to you, too.

Or this: When Jacob was born ten years ago, we also got a new vacuum cleaner, a Dyson. We were about to move from Chicago, Illinois, to Ruston, Louisiana, and wanted to be prepared, whatever that means. It was a stressful time for my husband and me, having the first baby, and wrapping up our Chicago life. In the middle of all this, Markus, my husband, bought a set of huge googly eyes to give our Dyson a face. I will always love Markus for that. It was such a happy moment in our lives, and I am not exaggerating when I say that this happy moment has carried us through the difficult times. Because you need to vacuum once in a while, in good times or in bad times. Just plug in the Dyson and suck in a good mood.

The Circle of Life

This little town has a community theater, and my 8-year old daughter Mona has been wanting to be on stage. She auditioned with "Remember the Alamo" and got a part, there you go. My 10-year old son Jacob said, he didn't want to try out because he had stage fright, he said, which is hard to believe because he was born a stand-up comedian.

Anyways, Mona is going to sing and dance in three scenes in a junior production of the Lion King, and we all are excited, of course. I actually got a role, too, as an advisor for props and the set. For example, a baby lion was needed that is going to be held up high in the air during the Circle of Life song. With this on my mind, I recently went to my favorite thrift store and saw little Simba right there sitting on the shelf - in the form of a gigantic Elmo. I knew it was him.

My fabulous friends Anna and Johnathan, who are involved in the theater in many creative ways, shared my vision, and so we spent a few evenings helping Elmo give up his red fur and his eyes and morph into a baby Simba. He turned out quite amazing, I'll say, thanks to Anna's and Johnathan's imaginative painting skills.

I really love knowing Simba's alter ego. I know, that, when they will perform the Circle of Life next week, I am going to see both Simba and Elmo being held up high. And I am going to think of his puzzled eyes that have become part of my stacks of supplies in my studio.

Trade Days

I love things, especially the ones that have somehow lost their purpose or function. Like this brave little hedgehog in knickerbockers that didn't have his arms anymore when I got it. Or this old notebook that I found with most of its pages stuck together so that the few readable entries leave you with a wonderful peculiar story.

Needless to say that I love going to places where I may find such marvellous items. So today we all went to the "Big Creek Trade Days" in a nearby little town. It was successful in many ways, as it was a beautiful sunny not too hot day, and I found a colander-like aluminum object that probably came from some old appliance, and a bonsai to replace my daughter's tiny tree that I had forgotten to water one time too many.

The most wonderful trade, however, had nothing to do with those Trade Days but happened yesterday in a local coffee shop where I met Peter Jones for an exchange. Peter Jones is such a fantastic painter and photographer, and I admire his work very much in particular because of its exceptional storytelling qualities that just speak to me. He made a beautiful print of his recent "Self Portrait, Highway 61 outside of Baton Rouge" for me, and, in return, he asked for my "Portals." I am thrilled! And honored. Thank you, Peter.

Undo

I am working on a sculpture. In my mind, I have been working on this for a long time. I am making my birth father who I never met. He got his eyes already, looking at me, or maybe he is not looking at me or anywhere. Maybe it's not him at all, maybe I am making myself. I hope it will turn out okay. I will call it "Undo."

My plan is to enter it in an upcoming exhibition. I hope I will make it in time.

En Plein Air

My son Jacob said this afternoon that he prefers to stay inside because it was the safer place compared to the outdoors. He said that after we all had gone out for a long walk through our beautiful woodsy neighborhood. Back home I found a tick on my daughter's blouse. I shook it off into the bathroom sink, and we looked at it with disgust through a magnifying glass for a while. Jacob had three tick bites already, and the removals were always tricky and not funny, at least not for him. He was grossed out watching the tick in the sink. I tried to kill it by squeezing it with a paper towel, and then by smashing it with a rock. This tick wouldn't give up though, it was stubborn or invincible. So I pushed it into a snack bag, I stepped on it, jumped on it, and threw it into the kitchen trash. A few hours later, we pulled the snack bag out again from between wet coffee grounds and eggshells, just to find that the tick still was a happy little camper. 

Anyways - this kind of reminded me of the En Plein Air painting event that took place about six weeks ago in all Louisiana Cultural districts. Artists were asked to come out, put a straw hat on, and paint outdoors in a cultural district of their choice. That was something I haven't done before, so I thought, why shouldn't I. Especially since my daughter Mona was determined to do it, too. 

I did an oil pastel of the main railroad crossing. It's not quite finished,
especially the front needs work. I hope I will get to it soon.

And my daughter's take. She pointed out that I left out the traffic lights
and the McDonald's sign. And the bird that was sitting on the power cord for a while.

Back to Life

A few weeks ago, I did a little art project with the young party guests of my daughter Mona who just turned 8. At the end of the party, one of the moms, who came to pick up their children, said, oh wow, this is terrific, you should have a blog to post all the art things you are making and doing. Yes, I should, shouldn't I?

Good thing, I have a blog already. But I haven't posted anything for a while, I guess I was just lazy or forgetful. That shall change, especially since so many art things are happening in my life right now, and it is getting even more exciting by the day. In short: I have been trying to evolve as an artist and establish myself, and things seem to work out nicely. I am going to try to post daily from now on, especially since I had my blog address printed on my beautiful new business cards.

My kids' screen owls plus my sample (top right).
I think, I will attach them to a tree trunk. They look quite nice against bark.

Okay, so this is the little art project from Mona's party I have mentioned earlier. I came up with this screen owl because, especially for kids, I like to design projects that involve a variety of interesting materials, that require different hand movements and tools, and that always turn out wonderful. And Mona loves owls and so do many of her friends, therefore an owl project seemed to be perfect. I am glad that I have so many odd supplies in my studio, where I found everything that I needed: window screen scraps, wires and pipe cleaners, some copper foil, empty soda cans and embossing tools, lots of old and new buttons, triangular beads, hair clips, and sun-bleached twigs that I had picked up in Arizona when we went on a family road trip to the Grand Canyon four years ago.