Life and thinking of my mom:
What are your talents? What are/were your mom’s talents? As I think back about my childhood, my mom, and the woman I became, I question the best use of my remaining time on this earth. Instead of saying, “yes, I can do this.” I am now trying to step back and consider whether I really want to take on this new request. What is important to me right now and in the next 24 months? Have you thought about this? How are you holding yourself accountable?
For my entire life, I have heard “That is your mom? She is so kind and so beautiful.” It is true. My mom is kind and she is beautiful. I have to wonder if that is how she wants to be remembered. She is and was both of those things. But, she was also quietly tough. She would solve problems without ever raising her voice. My mother is also very intelligent. The books that she has read is amazing. When I was about 7, I remember her book group reading, “The Little Red Book” by Mao Tse-Tung. Whose book group reads that genre? And why in the world, do I remember that her book group read this book?
Again, how will you spend the next 24 months? I am making my studio practice a priority. That means, I am saying no to meeting up with girlfriends in the evenings. I will still walk Leo, of course, two to three times a day. I will still walk in the morning with friends or my sister. Tai Chi will also be continued. It means that I will happily be alone focused on my art. It doesn’t mean that in the wee hours of the night, I don’t regret restricting my social life.
I haven’t done much cooking in the last two weeks. I was in Scottsdale visiting my kids and grandchildren. So much fun!
Here are couple of recipes that look interesting:
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
by: Arthur Ashe
Studio:
Did I tell you that I am in two shows this June? One at Gallery Uptown for the entire month. Stop in and have a look. The second show is with the Lakeshore Visual Artist Collective at the Pointe in Muskegon. I am making several new vessel forms. Each different and hand built porcelain, not throw on the potters wheel. I will have stacking bowl sets. I have been thinking of our West Michigan Seasons when creating these new handmade serving bowls. They will be contemporary in style using our Lake Michigan Beach Sand in the exterior glaze. I am working on another idea – a nod to our lighthouses. I can’t make a form that replicates a light house. I just don’t want to do that. I am considering a vase form that is wider at the base than the neck with gestures relating to waves and our sunsets.
Gallery:
It’s time to start thinking about hosting dinner parties, picnics, and family gatherings. Planning those meals means that you are going through your cupboards/pantries considering what serving pieces you will use for each recipe. Have a look at the current handmade pottery pieces that we have available for local delivery or shipping.
Take good care,
Cyndi
