hanging around

morning garden

clouds before the storm

out the window

looking out this window
knowing that i will be
looking out an other soon

tiger

ladybirds for the little bird

four

cold wind in the city

almonds and apricots

moving fast

cup cakes and coconut balls

new birkenstocks

train rides

menu planning

present buying

sweeping

treasure hunts

washing

more washing

nana too much tea for a little boy before bed

washing

yoga

more washing

lists ticked

breath

afternoon gleaning

i can't resist hard rubbish. i love trawling the

rough remnants of other peoples lives, searching for treasures. i found some beautiful old german books on the street. now like seeds they make me remember berlin, my grandparents, cold autumn days.

book haiku

sink haiku

little gardens

we spent the weekend planting a screening hedge, in preparation to sell. we ripped out the old making way for the new. plants gone, bundled away in neat piles ready to be collected. making space. letting go.

at yoga sweating, cleansing and making space.

being open to the possibilities.

zar's little garden featuring a dinosaur, suculants and a little bridge.

small fingers in fresh dirt.

i envy birds

today

rain

onion tears

rain

bundles of garden

traffic on my hands

and under my fingernails

souvenirs holding memories.

unfolding

'to live a creative life we must lose our fear of being wrong'

Joseph Chilton Pearce

today i did a workshop with zar's kinder class. some movement work and then followed with some art making. it is so much easier to work one-on-one. focus and attention diluted by a class is quite a challenge. never the less the children were very engaged with the process. i was happy with the session. we worked with the idea of seeds. growing little crouched people as i watered them and they imaged the sun shining on them. then we drew faces on eggs and planted alfalfa inside the hollowed egg (first filled with cotton wool).

zar and i had done this exercises at home. he then took the eggs for 'share and tell' time. the children were so taken with the eggs that i offered to come and repeat the exercise with them.

i love the idea of seeds growing, marking the time that has past, honoring the process that has taken place.

gifts

mess

paint, potato prints and play, mother's day presents and mess.

i wonder sometimes where the work and i divide. which bit is my life and which bit is the work?

losing track of time whilst in the process is a gift. likewise connections made through patterns, experiments, colour and fun.

noticing

as progress through this journey of reconnecting with my creativity, i find myself noticing more, being more aware. i am aware of the small beauty in my day. i notice the my environment, my feelings, my mood. i am noticing and observing from a place outside myself. i feel like this position is allowing me to let go.

fabric of memory

i came across a beautiful installation today. it was a on the fence of Elwood primary, something ugly transformed. creating community, sustainability through art.

collabaration and changing the enviroment are themes that i relate to in my work as a creative arts therapist.

rice paste

I have making some collages with photos and found papers. i have not been happy with results technically. the photos have been bubbling where they meet glue. today i went to buy some alternative glue. the glue is made from rice and works very well. i try to use what i have but i guess sometimes you need to ask for advice. i feel good that this is a natural product. sometimes technical details slow me and frustrate me. there is a place for freedom and there is also a place for going slow and being a little measured and accurate. it is all about balance really.

growing

Sun is still shining into May. Walking through streets leaves underfoot, crunching and kicking, gives me an energy. I am reminded of childhood.

time and space

To balance the variables of time and space is a constant challenge. i have been making mini haiku installations to address this dilemma.

invite

homes, party invites, birthdays and sunshine in the air.

noticing

light colour texture drawing pictures in my day.

noticing.

rain

Today it is raining. It is great for the garden but it is damp and dark and my mood reflects the same. Frustrated I am trying to make a space to work but I can't find a thing and am distracted. I find comfort in the repetitive motions of envelope making. tracing the pattern, cutting, folding formula, repetition, centres me. i use vintage books giving them a new life and purpose. the illustrations are so sweet and naively joyful i am glad to send them on to someone else to experience.

the morning after

This morning i awoke with a great sense of relief. I had started. It was as if the act of starting had freed me and and allowed me to play, the ability to breathe deep. I had an energy and a spark.

Wednesday is Zar's day off so i thought that an excursion to the city was in order. We caught the train watching out the window for all our favorite haunts seen with flying birds eye. We called each other little bird and mama bird.

After greeting the favorite 'yellow peril'.

we went to see new 07 at ACCA . I really like going to galleries with my 3 year old, it pushes me to be playful and not take it too seriously. he enjoys it too and we have fun.

I think that my favorite work was by Anastasia Klose, videos of performance she had done. dressed in a wedding dress holding a sign that said "Yes Nana I am still alone", being hugged by punks at Flinders Street Station, or walking the streets of Paris holding a sign that read "Hello Paris I am an artist too", the works were humorous but also brave. i found the experience inspiring. Zar and i did our own performance art after playing with textas and toes, embracing autumn and laughing.

Beginning

It is hard to start.

Here is a list of things that are easier than starting;

• the dishes
• folding the washing
• changing the sheets
• cooking polenta
• sweeping
• making homemade granola
• running
• walking
• drinking countless cups of peppermint tea
• getting insurance quotes
• reordering bookshelves
• ordering mother's day presents online
• cleaning the bathroom
• scouring the salvos
• planning not so distant holidays
• fixing the bobbin on the sewing machine
• texting friends you haven't seen for months
• planning a four year old birthday party
• fluffing couch cushions
• digging out aggapanthas
• washing your hair
• making banana muffins
• cleaning the stove
• cleaning anything
• house hunting
• wandering supermarket aisles

oops I think that I've started!