This week I spent time in my studio working on my next
commissioned piece. After the long, wonderfully
busy summer, I needed to take myself back to the beginning of the summer. We spent two weeks on the beach in North
Carolina looking at water and blue skies, and I’m delighted to report that the
background of my commission captures those elements. The foreground will feature a willow with its
long branches swaying over the water. I
have started working on the tree as a traveling project to poke at while I wait
for the boys at their activities. I have
been using army blankets to create the inside of the tree trunk and I still
have one more blanket piece left. Those
of you who are regular blog readers will recall that I began using army
blankets when Grandma gave me Grandpa’s old army blanket.
She didn’t know what to do with it and didn’t
want to throw it away. I discovered that
it was perfect for the core of trees I make.
It’s basically a felted, solid wool base that I can build on to form the
trunk. Over the surface I needle felted fleece
that came to me by chance from a young woman raising Shetland sheep. She approached me at Fourth Street a few
years ago and I bought some fleece from her and I’m just now using up the last
of it. It’s the perfect color for willow
bark.
The Fourth Street Festival, my next big event, is rapidly
approaching. The image that I've posted is of this year's T-shirt design - a tribute to Jerry Farnsworth and his amazing kaleidoscopes. Coordinating all the small
tasks and making sure they’re completed commands a lot of my attention these
days, but only for another month. I made
the difficult decision in late spring to step down as president of the Fourth
Street festival committee. I’ve been
with the group for over twelve years, and I’ve learned an enormous amount from
them.
I’m grateful for the experience
and the friendships I’ve made. Still,
it’s time to move on after this fortieth anniversary art fair. I’m excited about all of the artists that
will participate this year—120 come from all over the U.S. to descend on the
art-loving community of Bloomington. I’m
very proud to be associated with the event that is such an integral part of the
Bloomington arts scene. I do need to
keep my nose to the grindstone and create a few new pieces for the Labor Day event. I have had a very successful summer art fair
season already, which means that I will need more work to fill my booth with a
fresh display of my pieces.
On the family front we are approaching the beginning of the
school year. Wednesday will find both of
my boys in high school! Amazing! I will have to split my time between my
studio and the costume studio at Bloomington High School South to complete thecostumes for Pippin. One of the last
elements of costume design that I’m contemplating is providing headdresses for
circus performers. I found a used copy
of the “The American Circus: An
Illustrated History” online and it has plenty of inspiration.
Yesterday morning Jim and Tommie went off fishing and Jacob
and I headed for the farmer’s market. We
slept in a little longer than the fishermen and we found the market packed and
rocking—it was full of people! We
scampered around to get the produce we wanted.
We got watermelon, corn, cucumbers, basil, plums and peaches. We dropped our treasures off at the car and
sauntered back to get delightful dainties from Maria at Piccoli Dolci. Jacob and I relaxed on the grass and watched
the world go by on a pleasant Saturday morning.
Oh, and the best news of the week!
All is right with the world. I
found a warm peach pie after the last market that went delightfully well with
decaf espresso in the morning for breakfast.
If that weren’t enough, Gwen Witten dropped off a warm Derby Pie yesterday
evening for dessert! It was AMAZING!! Life is very good.
Until next week,
Martina Celerin
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