Fashioning a new world for me…

My really big news this week is that I will take my oath on Thursday to become a United States Citizen.  My life guides my art, which means I’ve been working on a piece that tells the story of my path to citizenship.  It features a hand and a trowel digging a hole into the earth.  A seedling waits nearby to be planted, and the piece will be called ‘A Home of my Own’. 

This week I completed needle felting the hand and the handle for the trowel, as well as the background weaving for the piece.  As I work, I feel like I’m celebrating the process that will culminate with my whole family together at the swearing in ceremony.  I can’t wait!

I’m late in writing the blog this week because my weekend was jam-packed.

 Sunday evening brought the 2012 Trashion-Refashion show.  Jacob and I participated as both designers and models this year.  Tommie handed out programs and Jim was a ticket taker, so the whole family contributed to the show.  The event began at noon when Jacob and I went to the Hair Academy to have them make our hair as stylish as our outfits.  Jacob got a fauxhawk and mine was transformed into an ocean creature/goddess.  I didn’t have as much hair to work with as I used to, but the stylist brought together some interesting effects to complement my outfit.  I was sworn to secrecy on the designs we created so it would be a surprise for everyone, but now I can reveal that Jacob’s outfit was called Dragon Master and mine was Seafoam. 
My top was one of my Re-Shirts that I’d made partially out of one of Jim’s old dress shirts that didn’t find it’s way back to the closet one day.  He didn’t miss it so it became mine!  The front features one of my block print pieces I made last fall.

 The pants were a pair of jeans I cut holes in and then spray-painted to seal the fabric and prevent fraying.  I got a lot of compliments on them, and I could have sold them off my body that night.  I bought a pair of crazy high-heeled pumps with glitter heels from Opportunity House for the event.  When it was my turn on stage I worked the runway—Heidi Klum would have been delighted!
 Overall, the show was a big hit with the large, enthusiastic crowd. 

All the outfits were awesome.  The evening featured a ‘Trashionoff’, which might sound like a dingy Russian diplomat, but it just described a competition between Town versus Gown artists.  The Townies had Miah Michaelson as their model, while the Academics had Sylvia McNair.  They were really dressed up to the max from a pile of, literally, junk and a few repurposed bits of fabric and materials.  Miah and Sylvia were such good sports about the whole thing. I was volunteered to create a trophy for the winner - another secret revealed!

The next two big events on my calendar are the Brain Extravaganza launch party and Jacob’s Hip-hop Showcase at Panache Dance Studio, both on Saturday.  The Brain event will bring together all the finished brain pieces in one place for a brief public showing from 12 to 2 p.m. on Saturday.  My brain will make its way to the Wells Library for an extended period beginning early next week.  Before the public Brain display there will be a photo shoot with artists and brains with an eye toward the possibility of a book about the project.  I won’t have much time to revel in the completion of the project, though - Jacob’s hip-hop showcase begins at 2 at Panache, with an encore Sunday afternoon.  

Finally, we’re getting in to planting and Farmer’s market season.  We made a trip to Mays Greenhouse to find some flowers to spruce up our gardens for summer.  I buy them, Jim plants them.  What a great deal!  On the way to the Farmer’s market we found hot chocolate at Le Petit Café (truly excellent!) and breakfast at Sweet Claire’s booth.  At the Farmer’s market we found lettuce, strawberries, asparagus, cucumbers, onions and rhubarb.  Hmmm, rhubarb.  Is it time for a pie yet?

Until next week…

Martina Celerin