Air and fire

The wonderful show I am part of in Western Australia opened recently, and here are the masterminds behind it: Carolyn Marks (who is an arts officer for the city of Mandurah, where the show is sited) and Martien van Zuilen. They worked SO HARD to pull this show together in a very limited amount of time. I'm honored to be part of it, with a selection of hanji work, and to join these fine artists, some of whom I was happy to meet last year in Australia.

Meanwhile, at home, I am finally getting rolling on new work. I finished this last night even though I could barely see at that point. The hard part is that my body says, STOP! but once I roll into bed, my mind keeps running for another hour or two. Someday I will sync them up.

Here are three of my dresses in Western Australia; lovely photography and thoughtful install. I've been so distracted with learning the balance of homeownership and have to remember to be kind to myself because there is so much I don't know, and there is so much to learn each season. I saw the house in winter, moved in during cold/wet spring, and now it's real summer weather. So many things involved in each cycle! Wildlife, insects, trees, grass, HVAC, all of it. I used to not really live that cyclically even though I believe very much in seasonal work, because I lived in an apt that roasted me in winter. Overheating = no need to real winter clothes/blankets at home = not a lot of laundry.

I wasn't sure what my book edition would need but finally finished all of these little dresses, each going into a book. Last night was the first when I panicked about the reality of less than two weeks until I go back to Australia: will I really be able to edition this book? Yikes.

I couldn't figure out a custom stand in time for this funny duck so I sent a bit of paper string from Paperphine. I should have been working on more ducks but I am being pulled more strongly in the direction of books and dresses because that's what the shows and dealers want right now. Well, that's not really true because the dealers ALWAYS want the ducks, but I can't keep up!

Three new ducks, four new dresses, finally getting ideas manifested that I've had for years (as far back as 2001). Still living in a state of disarray but half the dining room table is set aside for the trusty Kenmore, and the entire living room is a studio. I have been indulging in the almost brand-new central air in my house, which feels incredibly decadent, and trying not to eat too many crunchy foods (apparently this is what I want—which is true!—but it causes me to get too much into the air, when I need to be more grounded). I returned to my acupuncturist to deal with my ongoing issues with too much fire in my system (again, it's how I'm wired) and it's calming down a little. It's perfect timing to be going to Tasmania to immerse myself in WATER and make paper with new and eager students.