Small Reminders

As you can see, I have been attempting to get some work done on the potatoes. Although I am not ready to comment on my progress just yet, I thought I could talk a little about my work environment.

Our apartment is not very big, so if I want to paint, I have to paint in the kitchen. Slightly inconvenient, but not a big deal. A bigger challenge is trying to find the time to paint with two small children in the house, especially in the summer when they are not in school/preschool. Usually I can find some time in the evenings. Or, like yesterday, if the kids are playing well, I often pull out my paints and attempt to get something done.

Invariably, I get in about 10 minutes of work before someone comes in and says, “Mommy, can I paint?” Of course the answer must be yes, so I get out the watercolours. Then they ask for stamps, then they take out the stencils, and lastly, the markers. They get lots of art done. I try to get a bit done too, amidst the chatter and activity. As distracting as they can be, the kids approach to art offers me some important reminders. The easy way they work with the materials reminds me not to take myself or my work too seriously. Their joy in the experimentation reminds me not to be too safe with my art. I should be trying new things as fearlessly as they do – just to see what might happen.

One day I hope to have a studio of my own where I can really focus on my art. And I will happily share it.