This past week the brutal summer heat finally broke in
Bloomington. After a week or so
over 100 degrees, and as high as 106, we’re finally back down to normal
summertime temperatures. The best
news for me was that my art studio was the coolest part of the house (in the
basement next to the air conditioner) so I could work comfortably with my boys
nearby. I even had cold toes and
needed my slippers! As I thought
about escaping the heat I began channeling cool Canadian lakes. Of course I’m an American now, having
spent my first Fourth of July as a citizen, but that doesn’t keep me from
thinking about Canada. It’s the
only time of the year that I really miss my former home as I think about trips
to Pinery Provincial Park and the shores of Lake Huron. This thinking carried me through my
‘Father and Son’ piece, which features a mature birch tree and a sapling
overlooking a cool lake. It makes
me think of the beautiful relationship and bond that’s developing between Jim
and the boys, but that’s another blog post. One of the new elements from this weaving is that the water
has more sparkle, thanks to some silver cording I found at a yard sale a couple
of weeks ago. The three ply silver
cord was too thick for incorporating into my canvas, but I was able to unravel
it easily and use a single ply among the blue yarns to bring life to the
water. It contributes a brightness
than I’ve ever used. I found a lot
of treasures at that yard sale, including some white lace, fabric scraps and a
pink sweater that will translate nicely into sweater petals for fall
shows. To finish off the piece I
combed through my rock collection and incorporated materials that had colors
that work well with the piece. I’m
especially fond of horn coral for this kind of weaving because it has a large
surface area that makes it easy to attach firmly. I also like the texture it provides—it blends into the
grassy lake shore better than smooth rocks.
My other art news involves commissions and travel. I’m ready to launch on my next big
commission piece, due by the end of September. I’m anxious to get started on a piece that’s tentatively
called ‘Life’s Path’, which is a huge (45 by 25 inches) landscape orientation
piece. The path will be the focus
through a forest background and the piece will present some new structural
challenges for me. I already have
the frame, thanks to Tom Bertolacini, my frame-maker, so I’m ready to begin. Traveling is also weighing on my
consciousness. My out-of-town summer
art fair schedule begins this week.
I’ll travel to Madison, Wisconson, for the Art Fair on the Square this
weekend—stop in if you’re in the area.
It’s supposed to be very hot for Madison (approaching 100 degrees), but
it’s my best show of the year so I’m looking forward to it. It’s also a chance to catch up with
friends Wendy and Duane (and their dogs and new barn) outside of town in the
quiet, cool countryside.
The family news of the week was Jacob’s tenth
birthday—hooray! He kept a
countdown of days to the big event, and he made himself some ‘happy birthday’
posters on the door next to his bed that he covered up so he could be surprised
on the actual day. We had a great
day, beginning with a chocolate chip cookie cake and buttercream frosting for
breakfast. Yum! We biked around town, visited the
library and had lunch at the Village Deli. Jacob had more decadent food when he ordered the strawberry
shortcake. I backed off my
motherly responsibilities for a healthy diet, at least until dinner. It was also the first day out of the
hundred-degree range, so it was incredibly nice to be out biking and visiting
the town. I have a lot of friends
that can bike in hot weather, but it isn’t me! Here’s hoping we have a summer full of berries, bike rides
and cool weather!
Until next week…
Martina Celerin
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