Commissions, Costumes and Spring!

My past two weeks have been as diverse in activities as they have been intense in effort.  I passed a huge milestone when I delivered my giant commission that features two dogs to its new home.  Although it isn’t hanging on the wall yet, it rests close to its final display site.  I got to see it against the backdrop of the dark blue wall and I just love how the crunchy greens pop out.  I’m pleased that I remembered to stitch the weaving onto its frame using black, reeled silk rather than my usual off white silk.  That allows the edges of the weavings to blend seamlessly into their color environment.  The new owners like the dogs, telling me that I captured some of the boisterous spirit found in their personalities. 

Back at home, I was just settling down and enjoying my milestone when I got a phone call from my next commissioners.  They are back from Florida and wondering about the timeline for their piece!  I had made a start on their commission, which will feature a flagstone path leading up to a worn fence and garden beside a fully foliated midsummer tree.  It will all be in sort of a honey-oak tone with a warmth and lightness distinct from some of my recent forest pieces.  I typically construct dark brown to black tree trunks with a lot of drama and contrast.  This piece, in contrast, will feature more soft harmonies and try to let a greater sense of peace emerge.  I have woven the background and stretched it out in a honey-brown stained oak frame.  I feel like I'm well on my way for that piece, promised for completion by mid- to late April.  As an aside, my sister-in-law in Albuquerque just asked, by text, if I ever sleep.  Well, yes, some, but sleep is overrated.  There are too many fun things to do! 

On the theatre front, I spent just about every morning and early afternoon at South High School creating costumes over the past school week.  I’ve had a lot of help from the kids during down times and over their lunches, so many of the costumes for the chorus are very close to completion.  In fact, virtually all of the village costumes are ready for the stage.  

 I’ve also had wonderful help from volunteers who have taken projects home in a bag and brought them back completed.  Many parents have enthusiastically embraced our craft night on Mondays, moving a huge number of projects forward.  I’m hoping to have a similar bunch this Monday.  I just want to send out a heartfelt thanks to everyone helping make this come together.  My focus, when I'm not trying to pull the smaller projects together, has been to focus on two of the principal costumes—LeFou and Lumiere.  I'm about three hours of work away from having both costumes completed.  I'm very excited and I promise to post pictures of the completed costumes on Facebook.  Of course they will appear here next week.  Or when my life slows down enough to let me write a little again.

My home life hasn’t been much less complicated.  I put on my administrative assistant hat and went through my giant basket of receipts of 2014 business expenses for my tax return.  All of the data is entered into my spreadsheets while the paper receipts are organized and filed away.  I put that hat on once a year and I’m always delighted to retire it to storage until next year.  It’s not my favorite job, but I know it’s important and I embrace the task each year.   Even as I work away inside, I have noticed that Spring arrived in Indiana, with lots of flowers in the yard and gardens.  Evenings have been spent running to dance practices, voice lessons, taekwondo and jiu-jitsu classes, with one evening set aside to recover.  

Last weekend we went to Eric Anderson’s thank-you performance for donations made to the Monroe County Civic Theater, which was a lot of fun.  He promised to perform a song of our choice for donating to a fundraiser for the MCCT.  We (well, mostly Jacob) pushed him out of his comfort zone with a song that featured some rap that he dutifully performed in high own style aka Pitbull done louge lizard style.  Jacob was on stage with the Jaywalkerz last night as part of the Hip Hop Connexion show at Indiana University.  As usual, Jacob was just incredible, showing off a suite of finely-tuned moves in sync with his group.  What more could I possibly ask to make my life complete?  Wait!  I’ve got it!  PIE!  Now would be good! 

Until next week,

Martina Celerin