the eye of the beholder

The girl and I had a big talk the other day. Some other kids had told her that her artwork was "ugly," and she felt sad and angry.

We talked about how everyone has different opinions about art. 

I told her about artists - Monet, Van Gogh, Seurat - who were told that their art work was "not good enough" at some stage in their life. 

I told her some of the reasons why I find her art work beautiful - because I loved hearing the stories behind her work, because I love that she doesn't just make art that looks the same as everyone else's, because I can see how much she loves the process of art, trying new ideas and techniques along the way.

We talked about how it feels to be told that something you have made is ugly - and about how, while it's totally OK to dislike someone's art, it's not a good idea to tell them that.

She made this painting for me as a tribute to Georges Seurat, one of my favourite artists. Some might see a few blobby dots - I see thoughtfulness and love. It hangs proudly on our bedroom wall.

How do you handle the "beautiful / ugly" thing at your place?

an accidental hibernation

I'm not entirely sure why I took a 4 month break from blogging - but I do know that in the last few weeks I have thought about why I do blog.

I blog because sometimes writing about my thoughts helps me to think more clearly.

I blog because I like to have a record of lovely things in my life, and of things I have made (very occasionally I need to record the not so lovely things too - but I like to make my blog a mostly lovely place, even if that is a bit dishonest).

I blog because I like to be part of a kind and supportive community, and I feel so grateful for this.

I planned to get back to the blog yesterday, but instead spent a glorious, sunny day in the garden working and playing until I ached (in a good way).

I woke today, and now my heart is aching, and the sky is crying, and Melbourne (more than Melbourne) is so sad. In the midst of this, my blog seems so trivial.

My thoughts, love and sympathy go out to anyone today who is sad or grieving - for Jill, or for anyone xo

*NB: please remember to avoid any comments about the case or the accused that may compromise court proceedings, here or anywhere on social media. Thank you*

reverse finds revisited

Nearly two years ago, I made a deal with myself (and my blog) to find a new home for some of my things every week during Spring. I called it "reverse finds."

In doing this, I realised that, while I am by nature a hoarding type, it can feel pretty great to give things away...

I look around our cluttered place today, and know I need to get on the reverse finds bandwagon again... but I need some inspiration - so I thought I'd tell the story of something big (for me) that I gave away last year - a story that still makes me smile.

This old printer's box was one of those things that became "mine" because no-one else wanted it. I can still remember the strain of carrying it to my car with all the drawers sliding out (until I worked out I should carry it the other way around).

I remember finding a few odd tiny letter type pieces in one drawer (they are now safely stored away somewhere I can't remember...).

I remember trying and trying to come up with some way I could use the tiny compartments - but they were just too small for anything I needed to store... even too small for buttons, or a little person's stone collection...

In the absence of any "practical" use for it, I used it as a little side table.

  
Then, I visited a work friend at her new home, and was lucky enough to be given a tour of her husband's studio. He designs and makes beautiful stationery using a beautiful old letterpress machine - a really old, carefully restored working piece of history... and I knew where "my" little box should live.

It took a week to convince my friend that the printer's box should become a printer's box again.

The day before I gave it away, I took a mountain of photos, to help me remember all the little details I'd loved but never used.

I love that I gave this box a home for so many years, and "saved" it from being scrapped.
I love knowing that one of the marks on the top is from when I left a drink on top and fell asleep after a long solo drive from my Adelaide "home" to my Melbourne "home".

I love imagining it being used back in the 1940's and wondering what was printed - newsletters? cards?

I love love LOVE that it has a new, more fitting home...

and I love that the week after I said goodbye, I found myself able to rearrange furniture and see new possibilities for our room - that one less thing really made a difference...

Do you have any favourite stories about things you've given away?

trying and not trying

A few days ago I made my first toy from this gorgeous book - to celebrate the birthday of a delightful, adorable one year old boy.

It took me days to choose the pattern, and hour upon hour to make... not because the pattern was hard, or the instructions hard to follow (it was in fact beautifully set out), but because of me... my worrying, my procrastinating, my trying sooo hard (I tried so hard I managed to break an embroidery needle)...

In the end, this little hippo turned out pretty well, but I see him and think of my struggle making him, wishing I'd felt joy instead.

Last night, just before bed, the curly haired girl announced that her whale Teacle was now fully grown and wanted to have a baby (!)...

I found my chance to make with more joy and less trying.

A rough pattern was made, the trackie pant and t shirt scraps box found, and by the time QandA was finished (with regular breaks from stitching to talk back to the television), a baby whale was born.

Baby whale is by no means perfect, but is absolutely gorgeous.

Teacle is a very happy mum...

I'm glad I'm a person who tries hard, and cares and worries a lot about things, but I'm glad to learn the lesson that less worrying and less trying can sometimes be a better path...

colour in our garden

Our backyard is a tiny strip along the length of our unit, so we have a lot of fence to look at... and it's not a pretty fence. 

Lately I've been checking out paint websites, coming up with lovely colour plans (and even dreaming about covering the whole fence in blackboard paint to make giant chalk murals)... but have baulked at the cost and time involved

Yesterday, I came up with another solution... and pulled out our lovely big bottles of kids paint...

enlisted the help of an enthusiastic little artist... 

and began to paint a mural (inspired by "Isabella's Garden" - a beautiful book).

The little artist developed a wonderfully effective technique for making the "worms" and insect tracks - scraping off paint with a paddlepop (ice lolly) stick. 

 

It was the sort of project that makes you lose track of time... and I have no idea how much time we spent... but it was worth every minute.

We even managed to get out the chalk...

Inspired by all this colour (and by a post we'd seen that morning), we embarked on another crafty garden project...

making our own mini garden gnomes (somewhat more rustic than the original).

I hope your weekend has been full of colour and happiness too!