Path to Path Post #3: Getting into the Heavy Stuff

Collaborations are the best. They push you. They push you right away.
Joy is an artist and illustrator (I see no difference in those two activities but I want you to know she is publishing a great book this year). Our skills overlap but not completely. I love how she is pushing me with her matter-a-fact-ness. Her, "Okay we will be making art and we will be making it now.There will be a schedule and this is going to work." attitude.

So last week I am focused on things. The drawing of things that are here in my parent's house. I put myself in the frying pan or maybe I threw myself into the fire. Like many people, my parent's house holds decades of memories and has all of these objects that are laden with meaning and memory for me. So this week I am drawing parts of the house. Joy told me to take my time. Not rush it. So it has been a week and I am just now posting this drawing.

These drawings are about all this STUFF that is in my parent's house…that doesn't really have any meaning but they hold on to. Or there are things that have meaning but they are crowded out by things that don't have meaning. Or something. This stuff haunts me and makes it hard to be here. And it is part of the reason I have no idea how to organize. I never once (NEVER!) cleaned my room as a child. Ever. Not a once. I would just wait for one of my parents to do it. I don't know why I did this. Maybe to get their attention. I don't know. What I know now is. I don't want things to rule my life. That I want to build experiences and moments with people. Not have my art drown me. Or have my things be more important than those around me. For me what is hardest is books. Books are the loves of my life. And I have to figure out a balance of having them and letting them go. I would like to note, my parents are not like the TV show. You can walk around their house just fine. They just find solace in things. This though is literally the heavy stuff…the things that weigh me down.

In addition, it was my Father's 60th birthday last week. And well he wasn't excited about it and he doesn't want to spend any money on celebrating. Some family members wanted to know why we didn't GO OUT to celebrate. That this is a BIG DEAL BIRTHDAY. Both myself and my sister were there for his birthday weekend AND his first grandchild. Though I wish my Dad didn't mind spending money on himself. I think having his family around to celebrate is pretty special in itself. Eating out makes him panic-y, so why would we do that? Though we snuck in a meal at Sawadtee on Mom's Bday (the day after Dad's BDay.)

One of the first bikes my father gave me was a banana seat Schwinn. I made it blue cause he likes that color. My Dad's first bike was this Sting Ray style Schwinn. Though it didn't cost me much I hope my Dad appreciated the effort.

I am enjoying time with my nephew. I am enjoyed being part of the Spring concert for the Minnetonka Community Band. I play the oboe and I am getting back into it. I will write a whole post about this experience.

NEXT UP, a drawing of the insides of the fridge!