Inch by Inch, Row by Row

What a hectic week! I’m trying to get ready for two shows and the deadlines are approaching. The “Inch by Inch, Row by Row” show will hang in the Showers Building on March 31st, just in time for the outdoor Farmers Market. That’s our morning breakfast spot in the summer, which translates into a scone or muffin and juice at the picnic tables next to the market. When you can’t get the kids out of the house, the appeal of a fresh, big cookie usually does the trick. Back to the show—it turns out that art and deadlines don’t always mix well. I was hurrying to finish the last pieces because Tom the Photographer (Tom Bertolaccini) was coming at 10 a.m. Thursday to photograph my most recent work. I’ve been up early frantically finishing the hands and the bean plant you see in the picture. I also finished the signature piece (Inch by Inch, Row by Row) in time to be photographed, along with ‘Sangria’, ‘Fresh Fruit,’ ‘Beach Treasures’, ‘Lawn Flowers’ and a tropical fish piece for the Fort Wayne show called ‘Tropical Paradise’. All of Tom the Photographer’s new images will appear soon on my website, thanks to Tom the Web Guy (Tom Hume). None of these should be confused with Tom my son, Tom my father-in-law, or any other of the Toms who keep me going.

The spring theme also permeated the other corners of my life. I soaked and planted a bunch of peas in between the tulips in a bed in the back yard. I bought 100 red tulips (aka deer food) late last fall, and my supportive spouse distributed them around the gardens. There are 50 untouched tulips leaping up from a bed just behind the house that (shhhh) will be taken over by vegetables later in the spring. We also made a family trip to Mays greenhouse last weekend and came home with three fruit trees to bring spring color to the back yard. We got two cherry trees so they could cross-pollinate (I hope that doesn’t keep us up at night) and one peach tree so the HOA (husband of artist) can make me pies this summer. Life is good.

Some of the garden beds will also get a makeover, thanks to Tom the Photographer and his truck, who also delivered two yards of mulch to the driveway. The HOA thinks it’s headed for the center garden in the back yard that he painstakingly reclaimed last fall, but some is definitely going to cover the front yard plots I’ve been babying along the last year or two. Next week will have a little yard time built in when the HOA is at work.

I did reward myself a little for completing all the pieces on time. I made my first trip to Yarn in a Basket on South Walnut to check it out. It’s been around for a while, but I haven’t put it on my local rounds until now. My best find was a really funky pair of socks made in Vermont out of used t-shirts. They’re incredibly colorful and intentionally mismatched. I’d rather be obviously mismatched once a wash cycle than subtly mismatched most of the time like the HOA, but that’s a personal taste. I also got the good news that I was accepted at the Art Fair on the Square in downtown Madison Wisconsin this year. This will be our first big family road trip based on art, and now we have to start bringing all the travel details together. It will be an adventure!

Until next week…