This art show showcases an innovative concept that inspires wonder and excitement in a tactile way. Each art piece was created by recycling old newspapers. With bright colors and a texture that litteraly jumps off the canvas, viewers are encouraged to feel the passion, whimsy, and excitement of art.
Come out and support Lorena Starkey as she showcases her newest artpieces at Starbucks.
Join us for an evening of art, coffee and connection. All are welcome. Open to the public.
Yesterday, I walked a road that I've never had to before....
As a mom, we are required as a necessary component of this job to somehow manage to carry every item that we may need at any particular moment. The contingency plans are drawn out to ensure that we are prepared for each and every challenge that the mom job throws our way. For some, this means stocking their purse or baby-bag with all the necessaries. Then, when we do not have the extra items, our skills of innovation are called into play.
Yesterday, I packed up the kids for a playdate with one of my girlfriends. I packed some apples and oranges, a book, and changed Jack before leaving. We arrived at the park and as soon as I set the kids on the ground, they took off in a sprint to the slides. My friend was not due for about 30 minutes and the kids were happily playing together for about 20 minutes when the first alarm went off.
"Mom, I have to go potty."
Then, the second alarm went off.
"Me too!!!"
So, I got Bella and Sophia gathered as I tried to coax Jack off the moving bridge. As soon as I grabbed his hand, the third alarm became very apparent. The stink bomb that had gone off in his diaper permeated the air around us and I knew that my mommy skills were now into play. I searched through my tote and realized that I had cleaned it out the other day. NO DIAPERS!
We walked to the car and I was considering what the plan was if indeed I had no diapers somehow stashed in the car. Ignorning this worry, I searched through my newly cleaned car with a sinking feeling in my stomach. *gulp* I had just cleaned it out the day before and had taken in all the random diapers. *sigh*
I was in a neighborhood that I didn't know and wasn't carrying my checkbook to purchase any new diapers. *GAAAHHH*
As I we walked into the community center to allow Bella and Sophia to use the restroom, my mind was scattered as I tried to find a way out of this. My friend would not be there for another 10 minutes and I doubted she would have a diaper that would fit Jack. Then, while we were in the restroom, I had an idea. Granted, it was not the best idea in the world, but my mommy skills were being stretched to a whole new level.
Disclaimer: what I am about to tell you is completely horrible and against the mom-code, please do not try this at home.
I flopped him up on the changing table and took off his diaper. The smell was mighty powerful as I flipped the poop into the toilet and wiped it off the diaper with toilet paper. The gag factor was pretty high and I used a paper towel filled with water to wipe his but. Then, I put the diaper back on him.
*sigh*
There, I confessed to possibly the worst thing I've ever had to do.
As soon as we were home, I changed him and his bottom seemed fine.
I'm putting diapers in my tote and my car... just in case.
I've been considering the fact that many people are struggling in so many different ways, yet sharing these aspects of our lives seems somehow too hard. When one is in survival mode, it's all about what you need to do in order to make that next paycheck come home and/or how to portion out food for a week on what is left in the fridge from the previous week. In addition, instead of living within the moments that make our lives happy, it is sometimes easier to get caught up in the worries.
However, being caught up in the worries of life sometimes requires so much effort that we do not take the time to connect with others or appreciate the small things.
I know that the blogging has gone down on this site. Possibly it is the welcoming environment that is simply not there, but more likely it has become too difficult to become vulnerable at a time when you are struggling to simply get by. Does that make sense? Maybe I'm one of the only ones in this situation, but I do find that when I am especially worried about life, I tend to not have the energy to write. Of course, being sick does tend to have some bearing on my energy level too :)
Alas, I know of many in my life that are thinking about the hardship that envelops their life and trying to make hard decisions that will affect their daily life.
I considered the fact that we all need to hold a friend's hand or sit in the sunshine and remember that the trees still have leaves and the wind still blows. In fact, I submit that simply by appreciating these things and sending a cyber hug to our dearest friends, we lift their spirits.
So, I'm sending you a *hug* and requesting that you appreciate the small things.
I encourage you to blog about the insignificant so that we too may joy in the simple and be energized.
I will write my next blog about something small that I appreciated in order to capture the joy in my life.
What do you think? Do your struggles sometimes overwhelm your senses and stiffle your creativity and ability to connect? Do you know anyone who has had to make hard decisions? Do you take time to connect with those around you who are struggling?
There is something completely exhilarating about pushing oneself to greater heights. On the other side of that same coin is the fact that often the heights require an immense amount of creative energy and motivation. I suppose this is where my methodical, determined, and driven self steps in and makes it all happen.
Of course, I'm speaking about my next art show which will be coming up very soon. Does anyone remember what I went through with my last one? Could you warn me next time? I suppose I should just go through and read the blogs that I wrote when I was creatively tapped out and over-exhausted with all my resources pushed to the limit in order to achieve my dreams.
Alas, here I am in the final stages of prep and it's completely all-consuming.
I've tried something completely different for this show, and honestly I'm not sure that I've ever seen this technique used in any other gallery.
I started with an idea that began possibly 7 years ago in a creative moment of my life when I was breaking out of the box. I wanted paintings to literally jump off the page. The concept of pushing the boundaries of the frame excited me.
This concept played with the idea of texture in a completely different way. I didn't want the piece to be a sculpture or mask. However, I did want the pieces to play with tradition while taking the viewer for a visual ride from different angles. Have you every walked into a gallery and wanted to just touch the painting? Maybe I'm the only one who desires to get up close and feel the passion. Is that weird? Well, I've created an entire show playing with these concepts.
Each piece is framed in the traditional way and thus can be hung as a normal picture. However, this is about the only thing that is traditional about them. Instead of being a traditional canvas, the painting literally jumps off the canvas (or board in this case) and evokes a different experience for the viewer.
I used chiefly the Star Tribune and The New York Times in a new mixture to create a paper mache product that created this out of the frame piece. I suppose I can coin this show as a type of creative recycling as not many people can say that they used nearly 25 newspapers to create their art pieces.
I'm in the final stages of framing and painting and will soon hang and market an opening. It's exciting, exhausting, and somehow perfectly wonderful.
It's different.
Stepping out of the box [or out of the frame, if you will] requires a little extra imagination and creativity. However, I'm extremely proud of my work.
I'm certain that with each and every child I've gone through this, but for some reason Jack is completely different.
There comes a time in a child's life where they are no longer kept in by the crib and must be put into a big bed. Now, for us this was also accompanied by the introduction of a new sibling which invariably happened around the time when the older child would have naturally transitioned. I believe with Cecelia she was in a big-girl bed by a little over 1 years old. Sophia and Bella made this transition around that 18 month old mark. I know many parents keep their kids in the crib for much longer, but for us it just never made sense when they were already climbing out or propelling themselves out of the crib.
Jack stayed in his crib for a little longer as we shared our home for awhile and didn't have the necessary space for his bed. I started to notice that he'd jump out of his bed and fall asleep on the ground with his bear and blanket. I remember Sophia doing this routine as she would fall asleep with her blankets in the hallway or in a doorway. I'm not sure why kids do this as the floor does not seem nearly as comfortable as a mattress. Anyway, I switched him over a couple of months ago at around 27 months.
Of course, the transition doesn't necessarily mean that the child stops the floor-sleeping, and we've continued to see him fall asleep in any number of places.
Last night, he had climbed into our bed and had fallen asleep. At around midnight and after a full evening of tile-setting, we were both exhausted and didn't move him to his bed.
Around 2am, he started his moaning/ squirming routine and I had to put him in his bed. I carried him to his bedroom and tucked him in, and then he woke up. At 2am, he proceeded to scream and have a temper tantrum of momentous proportions. He growled at me, stomped his feet, turned the light on and refused to lay down. I told him he needed to sleep in his room and I went into mine, closing the door behind me. I heard him growl for a little bit longer, but soon it was quiet again. I simply assumed he realized that I wasn't budging and had gone to sleep. He tends to get angry fast, but it goes away fairly quickly.
Then, around 5am, I woke up to make some coffee and breakfast for my husband and I noticed that Jack's light was still on in his room. I walked into his little room and the butterflies attacked my stomach as I didn't see his little curly head under the blankets. I rushed into the playroom and did a quick sweep of the room to find no Jack.
Then, I rushed upstairs with my heart pounding and my coffee-less mind suddenly awake with no caffeine aid. The adrenaline propelled me to check every bedroom and the couch. Then, I saw him.... asleep on the floor in Bella's room with his bear as a pillow and his blanket covering his curled little body.
*sigh*
I hate this stage. I don't think I can handle too many more of these freak out moments, where I have to find where Jack decided to wander to.
