Saturday, January 23, 2016

Fall Stew, Winter Citrus and Spring Flowers


It’s almost done!  Turn the stovetop to low and set the table because the feast is happening very soon.  I thought my Fall Stew was done and I’d have a great picture for the blog, but it looks like I’m a patch of parsnips short of a weaving.  Upon inspection, I also see that the ratio between the green beans and the veggies and roots that Jim finds more palatable might be a little high for his liking, but Grandma would love it.  I’ve been working on the vegetables since Thanksgiving.  It’s nice to be able to spread out making the little components of the larger composition over a long period of time.  Then the assembly phase brings a sense of anticipation and reward when I get to see everything together in my cornucopia.  I’m really pleased with how it turned out! 

The completion of one ‘some-assembly-required’ piece leads me to think about what I should make next.  This is where the different phases of my arts-filled life come together.  I’ve been working on costumes for the upcoming ‘Pippin’ production for Bloomington High School South.  In one scene I’m imagining a Jimmy Buffet themed set of costumes.  The kids will all be wearing Hawaiian shirts and leis in citrus colors.  Thinking about the citrus colors took me to slices of citrus fruits—lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits and even a kiwi.  It will be fun for me because I will get to return to my roots (ha-ha!) as a plant scientist, and think about the botany and structure of the citrus family.  I will get to teach myself what defines a citrus fruit while I bask in bright, happy colors. 

In last week’s blog I wrote a little about how another Sounds of South experience contributed to my art.  Two years ago I was the props mistress for the Phantom of the Opera performance, and that experience brought me into possession of a collection of gears and steam punk metal pieces.  I wove metal pieces alongside my chocolate-colored, earth tone yarns and created the ground for ‘Biological Clock.’ In essence, it will featured the below-ground gears and controls not visible to the rest of the world.  This week I wove the sky on top and now the piece is ready for the plant.  I’m going to make a flower with a clock face, which I think will incorporate a real watch. 

I’m presently spending about two days a week organizing the bits and pieces and found objects that will go into the costumes for the Pippin performance.  Specifically, right now I’m thinking about the circus costumes.  I’m absolutely loving the colors I chose, which are amethyst purple, emerald green and sapphire blue.  I have sorted through the costume studio's drawers of blues, greens and purples and pulled out the specific bits of trim and jewels that are the right match for the costumes.  I’ll keep collecting and adding to this collection each week as I go to the Recycle Center in town and take advantage of the Materials for the Arts program there.  It’s such an amazing resource to have in this community—it lets me raise the bar on the quality of the costumes and stay within a high school performance budget.  This week we have also gotten some real treasures, which are clothing pieces that are either not useable or sellable from My Sister’s Closet or the Bloomington Thrift Shop.  These organizations have also been wonderful about contributing their non-useables to the cause—a big shout out of thanks to them!

On Saturday mornings I do an exercise class, and this morning I came home to an amazing smell in the kitchen.  It wasn’t pie, but oh my gosh it had a sugary-buttery-smell of baking monkey bread.  I’m not sure what was in Jacob and Jim’s head, but I believe they were the chef’s in charge and I’m just delighted that they made it happen—yum yum!  There STILL hasn’t been a pie, though.  This is my birthday week, held in January to distribute the treats away from the week after Christmas.  I’m sure a pie will come my way in the next couple of days.  Stay tuned to see what kind it will be! 

Until next week,

Martina Celerin

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