unexpectedly good stuff all around
my painting class was great fun last weekend. i got to do 16 hours of encaustic painting over two days, and i loved it! i have long been drawn to encaustic work, and had tried at one point to figure out the technical stuff on my own so i could give it a whirl, but it was too much for my little brain. i'm glad i waited - the instructor was terrific , and i learned proper safety precautions to boot, which is probably a very good thing. it is not very often that i love the smell of art supplies (i don't share the love some friends have for eau d'permanent markers - you know who you are) but the wax used in encaustic painting has a delicious aroma. plus, all of the steps involved in the process and tools i learned to use made me feel kind of cool - i admit it. i wasn't a girl who was super handy with a paint stripping heat gun before, but now...you should see me. :) i think i might need a holster for it or something.
here are some experiments from the weekend:
being at the art school all weekend reminded me of how much i love school, and the occasional chance to step out of my everyday life from time to time to try something new. it made me feel kind of totally giddy. and when the class was over i had an excellent mothers day sushi dinner with my family, who even got dressed up for the occasion. i can't get chase to take off his sweatband to wash it (it's totally gross + crusty, but he loves it,) but the rest of him was unusually clean + dressed in completely random clothes that he thought i would like. my heart melted into a puddle on the floor, joining the miso soup that was also spilled under there.
other things:
- my art space(s) are on modish this week. thanks jena! things aren't currently looking so tidy. you're not invited into my basement until i do a little cleaning, okay?
- i've recently noticed that waxed handlebar moustaches are back in fashion. who knew?
- my friend betsy brought me back some stumptown coffee from her trip to that other portland. my favorite! and while she was out there, she happened to meet one of my favorite bloggers. i love small world stuff like that!
- i planted some seeds today. what do you think the chances are i can nurture their little souls into something + not kill them? time will tell.
- my good friend nicole's funny + excellent parenting zine, hausfrau*, was adapted into a one-woman show by another very talented friend who performed it for the first time last night at portland stage company as part of their little festival of the unexpected. i got to go, and it was incredible. local people, i highly recommend you go and see it on saturday if you can. (*and did i tell you she has a hausfrau book coming out next year? i can't wait.)
