L's first stitches

3 1/2. She gave them a kiss when we finished. Wish I had a photo of that...

collected

My dining room table on Wednesday (edited)

No stitching in the literal sense took place but it was good to think about what happens next.

Though the class is now well under way, I've been meaning to tell you I'm taking jude hill's cloth2cloth online class - basic quilt weaving. Very good to participate in some group learning before I return to my other more formal studies next year. (edit: Next year I am planning to continue studying for a diploma of textile art at Box Hill TAFE in Melbourne. I started the course in 2009 but deferred last year so I could spend some time with my family in the USA. It is good to get back into a student/learning mindset. I hold Jude, her knowledge and work in high regard, and her class is awesome. No doubt about it. )

remembering a very good day picking blueberries in august

One of my children is so sweet, so diligent and helpful. The other one is a three year old. Perfectly delightful on her own terms (as seems to be the way). We couldn't have picked a more gorgeous time to visit family in Olympia, or a day more perfect for my Aunt to take us blueberry picking. Of course each of us consumed mouthfuls but the smallest of us perhaps the most of all in the shortest amount of time.

And as it goes it wasn't too long Leilani tired of picking eating blueberries and wanted to go home. After all her usual complaints: I'm hungry (ha!), I'm sleepy, I need the toilet (and so forth), she focused her boredom on making ephemeral art. It isn't any wonder her favourite book for the next week was Blueberries for Sal, over and over and over again.

lace 4 - queen anne's

I am dreaming of somewhere warm, nursing the sniffles, doing my best to keep up with things. I am absolutely amazed children can have so much energy even when sporting a rattly cough.

My thanks to all of you who visit this space. I've so much enjoyed reading your comments on my recent posts. Thank you.

xo,
Jeana

Judy Martin

Since I wrote the description for Peter's quilt in my last post I couldn't get the feeling that the words sounded so much like something I had seen or read before.  I'm not the first artist to make work that revolves around a domestic theme so I shrugged the feeling off for a bit. 

Yet, on Saturday morning I was having a shower as usual - I'm not sure if it's hot water running over my head  stimulating brain synapses, or simply that I'm left somewhat alone in my thoughts (if Peter keeps the girls out of the bathroom...), but the shower seems to be the place most of my 'aha' moments happen these days.

And through the steam and soap, my subconscious finally offered me a generous serve  of  'memory.' I recalled the artwork,  When asked how she managed to make art and raise children she replied, "what's the difference?"  by Canadian artist Judy Martin. 

 

 

When I first saw this quilt, it's title and description, I remember having a real sense of Judy's passion for both her artwork and family. I felt very much encouraged as both a parent and artist. And now, though rather subconsciously I believe Judy - some the underlying metaphors in her work have crept into my art making. Now that I see it I want to gratefully acknowledge the influence Judy has had on me.

Here is Judy's description of the above art work (which is also found on her blog post I linked to):

When the four kids were all still at home, I made this quilt out of a wool camp blanket and some of their recycled jeans and t-shirts. Three of the children are girls which explains all the pink I guess. It's not a large piece but very heavy and while making it I realized that it was a metaphor for motherhood. It was a heavy, itchy thing yet warm and nurturing and domestic and all that.

 My description of Peter's quilt (you can see a photo here or on my last post):

Made from Old beach towels that belonged to his dad (Peter lost his father when he was 16), terry-towel nappies (diapers) I used as nursing cloths when my girls were breast-feeding, a towel we received as a wedding present and a snippet of the towel I brought with me to Australia 10 years ago, all tied to a pieced sheet of wool flannel. A large section of the wool belonged to Peter's grandma. For some reason terry-towelling and wool flannel go together in my mind. Put together somewhat roughly and quickly, a bit raw and uncomfortable yet warm and nurturing. Like these early years of child-rearing.

Though the quilts are quite different visually, a metaphor for motherhood and family worked out in material and texture, is part of both quilts. I think it's wonderful when thoughts come together this way - when the unconscious surfaces and I can see who and what has influenced me.  I believe it helps make connections and results in growth. Thank you Judy!

Thank you  also,  Judy for the use of your images and though half a world apart - or almost as far away from any two points on the globe as one could get(!) - thank you for your friendship and encouragement. 

{PS - Judy's latest blog post is awesome, too.}

Art and Motherhood

"If the woman artist has been trained to believe that the activities of motherhood are trivial, tangential to main issues of life, irrelevant to the great themes of literature, she should untrain herself."

Alice Ostriker

The above quote opens the introduction to The Divided Heart: Art and Motherhood by Rachel Power, a book recently loaned to me by a friend. A book which after reading the opening quote I promptly stopped reading, not for disdain but for the sudden realisation I had finally found the words that have been churning around in my brain for several months expressed so well by another.

And during that brief pause before endeavouring to devour this book (which of course I had to put down not long after the attempt in order to attend to my children - so still reading!) I asked myself, "If this is how I feel why is it I am keeping two blogs, one for the art, one for life when the two are so intimately connected for me. Must everything be so compartmentalised?" (edit - certainly not the most poignant question I could have asked myself, but an outworking of conflicting feelings about my children and art, definitely.)


No answer yet, but it is on my mind.

Along the same vein, Dana of Leililaloo is currently posting a series of interviews with artist-mothers she calls, "Balancing". I'm finding them quite encouraging, perhaps you might too?



I certainly don't mean to alienate anyone who may not have children, but to me as a mum the issues pondered in Rachel's book and Leililaloo's interviews are real, affecting my art making and child-rearing (quite often whether the making part gets to happen or not).

The top image is in my studio, which coexists rather ungracefully as a living room. The other two images are of Peter's Quilt: for my husband on Father's day. Still somewhat in progress. Made from Old beach towels that belonged to his dad (Peter lost his father when he was 16), terry-towel nappies (diapers) I used as nursing cloths when my girls were breast-feeding, a towel we received as a wedding present and a snippet of the towel I brought with me to Australia 10 years ago, all tied to a pieced sheet of wool flannel. A large section of the wool belonged to Peter's grandma. For some reason terry-towelling and wool flannel go together in my mind. Put together somewhat roughly and quickly, a bit raw and uncomfortable yet warm and nurturing. Like these early years of child-rearing.

Mist with Flowers by Belinda Kemp

A recent purchase. I'm very excited to now own one of Belinda Kemp's prints, Mist with Flowers. (I've been admiring her work for some time now). So much I love about this one - the lace-like quality of the mist over the landscape, the subtle individuality of each droplet and of course the colours. 

Belinda's blog, gretchenmist and her flickr stream are always a treat. Her prints and other finery are available in her etsy shop, madeit shop, Udessi online gallery or if you are in Melbourne you could see her work at A Shop Called Milton (I hope to visit one day!).

Thanks Belinda for kindly letting me use your images and of course for the lovely parcel - such a treat to open!

lace 3 (car show)

Through the trees at an old car show in Olympia; mid August. Grandma, Aunt M, Uncle T, cousin K and I sipped root beer while watching Eowyn and Nani dance their hearts out to the live band (oh my if you could have seen Eowyn - moves straight from "So You Think You Can Dance," 5 yr old style. Take a load off, Annie indeed.). We took Grandpa's Old Ford Model A, the one he rebuilt when I was a child.  The girls and I rode in the rumble seat - Grandpa always loved to have the grandkids ride in the rumble seat. I should not have worn a skirt. A fact made very clear when I had to exit the rumble seat in front of not a few old men. Oh dearie me...

And because it feels weird to leave this post without any images of the car:

lace 2

Great-Grandma's crochet. Lower edge of a table runner that I may or may not mend.



And two headbands I made; one for Nani and one for Eowyn. A bit of linen with a small length of lace from Grandma's collection. Getting a feel working with and seeing how the lace looks as appliqué before I start something bigger for the girls.



Grandma didn't have any recollection of where this piece had come from and I haven't the eye to say for certain if it was handmade (or even what type of lace it is - maybe someone reading can tell me?), but it is very delicate.

J

lace 1

Lace from my fore mothers. Grandma (maternal) saved quite a bit just for me (thanks Grandma!). She wasn't sure who made each piece specifically and some (not pictured here) is probably machine made, saved from dresses worn and linens used by great's & great-great's or older; maybe some from cousins of greats. The tatting was most definitely my great-grandma's work.

So...if you were wondering where the recent burst of crochet was coming from (or not :) this gift from Grandma was the catalyst. My mom taught me to crochet when I was young - I can barely remember learning but it seems to be something my hands just know how to do - enjoy doing. Mom often wishes she had learned to tat from great-grandma.

All these pieces have the most beautiful feel and smell(cedar), some are in smaller pieces; cleaned and salvaged bits from a mouse invasion. I remember Grandma looking so upset when she talked about that. I'd like to make something for my girls with this lace...eventually. In the meantime I'm just admiring and of course drawing inspiration - which means more lace posts coming!