breathe deeply, it's going to be okay

Occasionally I over commit in my design studio and I get frantic trying to give all my projects attention and give attention to the kids, my husband, my home, and me. It is an extremely fine balancing act to run a home-based design studio when you are a mom of two kids under the age of ten. I enjoy my design work immensely -- it is something I have worked on and refined over many, many years but I must remain diligent to be true to myself. When I am stressing I read this quote and take a deep breath and know that yes, I do have time and know that I am blessed to have so many important things in my life.

visual clutter?

I don't see it as clutter -- each thing on the board is a jewel to me...I change the images every couple months, but for right now this is what I see when I sit down in my office. I have two large windows on either side and if I am not on my computer I open them and get such nice light. I keep the blinds below my desk open and the kittens join me in the late morning and lay in the sun and snooze, snooze, snooze.

our hands, part two

I have a series of photocopied hands in my files. This one with all four of our hands is on my stainless board...I like how we are all smashed together on the glass and I am comforted when I look at it.

my workspace

I have a large stainless steel board above my desk that is filled with things I like to look at as I work in my studio. Here is a hand, of course, and a quote I read daily. The little angel magnet is from a colleague from UNP.

daddy is at the computer

Tessa drew this picture this morning...Kyle is working on our taxes today and is sitting at the computer sorting out all our wheelings and dealings of 2007...Tessa's picture sure makes it look like he is having a grand time!

a crocodile

Trenton didn't think this turned out exactly right but he spent a lot of time working on it and I think the snout and tail are particularly well rendered. So, we decided to post it. It also helps me because I get alligators and crocodiles confused and Trenton always reminds me that you can see the teeth on a crocodile but not on an alligator...

a cougar

A cougar running by Trenton House, March 2008.

The White Rhino

Trenton started working on a series of animal drawings this week. He is beginning to sketch more and add more shading to his drawings.

i love you too

Tessa and I were running errands and she was quietly working in her sketch book in the back seat. I said, "I love you honey" as we drove. When we arrived at the grocery store she showed me this drawing...

SHELLY the SNAIL

Tessa and the Snail, SHELLY, are friends. Back this summer when we had a blissful week's stay at the beach house we made friends with lots of snails -- our favorite was a small snail that Tessa affectionately named Shelly. We still talk about her and wonder how she is doing. Would she still be there if we visited again? This week we have been making clay snails and lots of snail pictures. The rainbow snail above is one of my favorites.

look and see

Kyle brought me some pretty purple flowers this week because I have been a little melancholy as we pass the year mark since daddy passed away. He told the kids he'd be a little late coming home from work because he wanted to get some flowers to brighten the table...it was very thoughtful. Tessa then worked hard and drew a picture of the flowers (she is blossoming in her skill to draw what is in front of her) and she told me this way I can keep the flowers forever.

evidence that spring is coming!

I keep this cheerful painting of Tessa's in our hall gallery to remind me in the freezing days of winter that spring will once again return in all it's glory. We are enjoying a sunny spell for a few days and I thought of this picture and smiled because yes, we will once again be welcoming the rebirth of the outdoors affectionately called springtime.

family portrait by Trenton, age 4

This has been in our hall for five years -- a family portrait by Trenton before his sister arrived on the scene. The huge noses and spiky hair are somehow just right.

our hands, part one

I love hands. I like to take pictures of hands, photocopy our hands, paint hands. I think hands are powerful symbols and to me they represent a person in ways that may differ from a persons words or gaze. Hands can be powerful, gentle, sad, pained, violent, joyful. My family is aware of my love of hands and agreed to make hand portraits. I dated mine and since these were made five years ago, I think it is time to make a new set. In these pictures Tessa was not even one, Trenton was five and Kyle and I well, we were five years younger!

my origami lesson

Trenton has been working on origami for a couple months now and I finally sat down with him on Friday for a lesson. He is very good at explaining the steps and describing the folds. I made my very first boxes (3 kinds!), a paper balloon, and a crane. He has a book report diorama due next week and has decided to challenge himself to create origami dragons for his project. Will post the final and maybe some of the process shots as well. It is spring break so I hope we will have several things going on creatively.

my funny valentine

Tessa designed this all by herself and I thought it was genius. The eyes are expressive, the pig nose is perfect and lots and lots of teeth -- I tried to recreate it but mine was not nearly as nice as this. I liked it so much she gave it to me and it hangs on my stainless magnetic board above my Mac. So, keep kids around and pay attention -- you never know where you will find your next inspiration!

elfs make me smile

This elf was created at a friend's birthday party by Tessa. He hangs on my office door and makes me smile.

a story behind this picture

This is the sign that Tessa was retrieving after Trenton's birthday party when the large black dog jumped the fence and tried to attack her. It is a massive drawing on foam-core and I silently say thanks every time I look at it that she was only knocked down and not bitten. This sign sits in our living room.

house plans

In February Kyle called a family meeting at the dinner table to discuss adding onto the house this year. We are a democratic entity and we all participated in adding items to the wish list for the house and back yard. I dutifully recorded the list to pass along to the architect. Later that evening Tessa decided words didn't express her desires accurately so she sketched out the upstairs she craves (what is it with kids and stairs?) as well as the enormous trampoline in the backyard depicted in the bottom image. We met with the architect last week and as promised I showed him Tessa's drawings to provide inspiration as he embarks on reworking our floor plans into something that will hopefully suit us better well into the future.

The Murdertrack

Over the past couple years Trenton has created elaborate roller coaster drawings. This one has been hanging next to our keyboards for a year. We are still trying to locate his drawing of people flossing their teeth on a roller coaster (not a good idea by the way) and I will post that as soon as it surfaces.