hump day nuggets :: under the influence

hump day nuggets :: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week

Words are escaping me for this post, as I've procrastinated most of the day and found countless other things to do to occupy my time.  But my mom arrives today and I have many, many things to do before her plane lands.  Nuggets will be short and sweet.

nuggets.

:: Art acquisition.  All of the above images are from the home of a talented graphic designer in Tomales.  She oozes creativity.  The owl art on the right is now the property of little 'ole me.  I love it and not just because it's gold & shiny.  Those button eyes and real tree branch sealed the deal.  Not sure where it will find its final resting place at our house, but she can float around for awhile and figure out where she wants to land when the time is right.

:: Dia de los Muertos.  We created an altar for Molly this year.  Tears were shed and we reminisced about how lucky we were to have her in our lives, even if just for a little while.  We also talked about loved ones who are now gone and what they were like when they were alive.  I love this tradition.  It's such a nice and dignified way to remember those not of this earth any longer.  I think that's the point.

:: Art Show.  We had the privilege to attend a private art show at the home of Jeff King and his lovely wife, Kristina.  The above painting is an example of his work and his use of primary colors and flirty models!  Jeff sent Grady home with some artist grade pencils and made his day.

:: Styling.  This little man picked out a few new hats from Enduring Comforts in Freestone. I haven't met a hat that doesn't look good on this kid.

:: Old Fashioned.  We sat down for some good old fashioned family fun the other night and played a game of Scrabble with the boy.  It's only his second time playing the game, but he's really taking to it.  He started off the game with a newly acquired word "cob".  Steve has been reading the E.B. White novel The Trumpet of the Swan to him for the past few weeks.  Did you know a cob was the name for a male swan?  I did not, but I do now.

:: Ice.  I made good on a promise to take the boy ice skating on Sunday.  There were a lot of rules and signage at the ice arena, but my boy was too busy hanging on to the rails for dear life to get into any trouble.  He skated for close to three hours, slowly increasing his time around the rink and gaining confidence.  He loved when they turned down the lights and blasted the music.  He ended the day with the hokey pokey and I was reminded that this really is what it's all about.

:: Schizophrenic Weather.  We had quite a bit of rain over the weekend and today looked like this over in Bodega Bay.  There is a definite shift in the season and flip-flops are slowly taking a backseat to socks and shoes & my sweater collection is making more appearances.

:: Maintenance.  This time of year is the best time to mulch and put the garden to bed for the winter.  I usually completely skip this step and regret it come spring.  Not this year.  With the help of the husband and his trusty wheelbarrow, we put straw down on a few of the beds and mulched every single tree on our property.

Ear tag, pregnant spider, red leaves & lone fallen leaf

:: Intention vs. Attention.  I've been trying to have more intention with my days and pay more attention to the natural world.  The camera helps me look for those opportunities, to document all the beauty that surrounds me on a daily basis.  It also gives me the nudge I need when trying to find words to write about what I capture.  The image fuels the writing for me, but it's still a challenge.

 :: Art Studio.  Progress is being made within the walls of this funky, pink outbuilding.  More photos once we complete the painting, electrical and all that jazz.

Sunday morning at the table

:: Inspiration.  I really love the fact that Grady can find inspiration just about anywhere.  He can just sit down and bust out a drawing whenever the mood strikes him.  He has total confidence and is influenced by whatever it is he's reading (see above photo) or learning about at that very moment.  This is why I think it's so important to encourage little ones to experiment with art and expose them to museums, artists, good books, the natural world and original ideas.  Less screen time, coupled with blank paper and some pencils is all you really need to tap into the artist within.  I firmly believe that.

I also think it's equally important to surround them with positive people and adults or mentors that encourage creativity and celebrate their ideas, not squash them.  We had a teacher this week decline a few of Grady's art entries for the school paper before she even saw them.  He was crestfallen, but I encouraged him to submit them anyway and figured if she didn't select his work that it would be a good learning opportunity.  He was a bit embarrassed and just wanted to satisfy her, so he said he would would go home and draw something like a turkey or a xmas tree, instead of the drawings he had originally selected.  That didn't sit well with me.

The above interaction immediately brought forth a vivid memory from the last week when I was asking Grady some questions for his artist bio.

When I asked him about who his early art influences were, thinking he would name Charley Harper or Jackson Pollock, he instead mentioned his first and favorite teacher, Stacy.  She is a force of creativity & kindness, coupled with compassion & an incredible DIY attitude.  She introduced the children to artists like Calder, Cornell, Basquiat and created curriculum around those artists.  Age was never a factor with her, art and the beautiful world around that tiny red schoolhouse was for everyone to indulge in and appreciate.  The children thrived under her guidance and dabbled in painting, block printing, poetry & graffiti.  They left with a firm knowledge of the seasons, plants, animals, insects and the cycle of life.

We were so lucky that he was able to spend four full years with her as she guided him through nature, books and making lots and lots of art during his preschool days.  As newbie parents, she taught us a lot, too and we are forever grateful.

And so this reminded me that one teacher has left her mark and he is the kid he is today, largely due to her influences, love and encouragement in his first few years on the planet.  She is a special, special lady and the best teacher he's ever had.

She won't be able to attend his art show this week, as her father is ill, but she will be there in spirit and perhaps always with him as he matures as an artist.  Thank you, Stacy.

:: Whatever.  Grady's first solo art show is happening in a few days.  When we went to see the space and figure out how and where we were going to hang his artwork, he confided in me that he was both nervous and thrilled.  He then went on to elaborate and tell me thrilled was one of his vocabulary words for the week, so he knew exactly what it meant.

I'm thrilled, too.

Happy hump day.