An Uncommon Life

This is the best part about grandmothering a 6 year old. We  co-create stories.

Actually, Ada is constantly making up stories. And I do not exaggerate. I tune in when I can, but if she is spending half a day with me, her talking often proceeds without an audience. I feel a little guilty about that, but she doesn’t seem to mind. I can jump into her free-form story-telling and add a detail here or an opinion there pretty seamlessly.

Ada and Annabelle

Lately we have been discussing the habits of her new fairy friend, Oakley. Oakley is absolutely a co-creation. When I made Ada’s fairy doll a few weeks ago (see my earlier post) I wanted to create a little myth around her. So we have been discussing the fairy that travels from oak tree to oak tree and wears a sparkly sleeveless dress (my sewing abilities are rather primitive, and I am trying to avoid an “incident” when I present Oakley on Ada’s birthday. “Grammy,she doesn’t have any sleeves!”).

Ada tells me Oakley has many different items of clothing, only one of which is sleeveless and sparkly. She also told me about another species of fairy that shares the oak tree life. I think they are called “pea-nuckles,” but I can’t be certain.

Ada will one day be 12 or 13. I doubt our story telling will continue that long. But luckily there is Annabelle, and I am quite sure more of her kind will follow.

Do you have children or grandchildren in your life? What are some of your stories?

Creating something out of nothing – isn’t that the best thing about being an artist? Popping out of bed with a new project in mind, something that will take up half a day and involve nothing but creation. Just like magic, out of whole cloth. It might be a new jewelry design, a blog post or a comic book. (Yes, I do write comics. They are occasional and involve the more absurd and laughable of my life experiences.)

Or a fairy doll. That was a fun one. Or this little cat family that I made for a customer.

I’m not that crazy about cooking, but once in a while I  invent a new recipe that is truly delicious. Or I “improve” on an old favorite.

I am also an unreformed doodler. Especially during boring phone conversations. Heaven help the man or woman on the cover of a Creative Loafing newspaper. Yesterday a local politician became a transvestite devil, with horns, a 1950s hairdo and several warts above his painted lips.

So many ways to create. Some of it is just spent in reflection, where it usually begins.

Fess up and tell me about your creations!  – Merry

Two weeks ago my (almost) six year old granddaughter said “Grammy, will you make me a stuffed fairy doll for my birthday?” She gave me the specifications, which I wrote down.

I was hesitant. “I would love to, Sweetie, but I am pretty busy.”

“Allright.” She took it in good grace.

Ada, I should mention, is an artist. That means she is very capable of turning illusions into reality. Thus, despite my initial hesitation, I found myself mulling over the task. Magically, during our recent  jewelry show in Atlanta, our hotel was two blocks from both a fabric store and a Michael’s. All the stars were aligning for the fairy’s emergence, and I spent an hour sorting through fabrics and making  purchases.

Last weekend I drew a pattern and cut out the body, arms and legs. I drew on a face and  traced it with my embroidery thread and needle. This weekend I planned only to sew and stuff the body parts, but got carried away and made the entire thing. Oakley the Fairy charmed her way into existence. Ada’s illusion became mine, and similar to Pinocchio’s transformation into a real boy, muslin, gold cloth embroidery thread and yarn became a real….Fairy.

How important is communication to an artist?

I can say with some certainty that if you are making a living as an artist, then you are definitely communicating. The art you produce, no matter its form, is delivering a message to an audience. If the message is understood and enjoyed, then  you will  be rewarded.

Joan Miró, La Leçon de Ski, 1966, Sofia Imber Contemporary Art Museum of Caracas, Venezuela

One of my favorite painters is the Spanish artist Joan Miró. I can’t really explain what he is communicating, but his work has a rhythm and design sense that has always made me happy. For me it is a communication at an emotional level.

If an artist’s message is difficult to understand, or  unpleasant to view, hear or read then it may be more difficult to find an audience. Of course this may not always be true. For instance, I personally find  Quentin Tarantino’s movies deeply disturbing, yet he has a passionate following. And he is undoubtedly an artist; his film making is extraordinary.

Does anyone have a theory to explain this?