Sometimes the mundanity of daily life requires a little thinking outside the box. In my case, (I am not sure from what wellspring this erupted), I stumbled on a sort of doodling called Neurographic Art, and I'm obsessed...and also recognizing that my artistic talents got stuck and denied when I was a kidlet.
This kind of art - a sort of calming, circular, rhythmic thing - drew my mind unconsciously back to the childhood art classes I loved so much. This particular form of engagement with line, color, and shape (in this perhaps childish way) has unlocked a creative lens that I realize I abandoned shortly after middle school. Art classes went bye-bye as the seriousness of college prep and high expectations for academic rigor meant I needed to make very careful choices about how I spent my time. Because I wanted good grades and a social life in high school there would be no more time for visual art. In fact, I was keenly aware that when I engaged with art I'd often lose track of place and time entirely. I purposely avoided visual art classes in both high school and college because, "They take up too much of my time!"
Art, I decided was frivolous, a thing that didn't pay so could only be considered a hobby or a thing that helped children develop fine motor skills and an appreciation for good design! I continued down the road of Art Denial most of my adult life as time was always in short supply, but every now and then I'd dabble. When my son was young, we enjoyed lots of artful adventures and I'd often get excited about art projects with my 5th graders, but mostly only allowed myself practical arts - cooking, gardening, home design, etc. But, last week I got an art bug, and I've taken up the study once again! In all this hindsight, I regret making the choice to ditch art as it is a thing I love. Of course, wisdom suggests, "It's never too late" and with age upon me, I don't give a damn! I'm picking up with visual art where I left off in 8th grade! Maybe I should revisit playing the cello again, too!
On The Farms in the Store
Sweet William is still up to his elbows in planting between rain storms. Hopefully today and tomorrow the sunflowers will find their new field beds satisfactory. Then organic corn and after that it'll be time to hay.
Because it has been such a lush early Spring, lots of people have asked when William will start the haying. "It's not good drying weather," he answers. It's one thing to have rich green fields that look ready to be cut, and an entirely different thing when it comes to drying the hay. This time of year, the hay is JUICY, so it needs heat and lower humidity to sufficiently dry. The hayfields look ready, but the weather is not.
The new chicks are all out and about enjoying spilled grains, fresh grass and bugs! Thank you to everyone who helped us rebuild our flock after the dog attack. We'll start seeing chicken eggs sometime in August. In the meantime, we have duck eggs. If you've never tried them, they're not much different than a chicken egg except bigger in general size and yolk. Some people say they seem a little more creamy, but I don't detect that concept. They're delicious!
The peonies will be in the store this next weekend, June 1-2 $12 bouquets.
If you want to explore more art, Wisconsin's Fresh Art Tour is June 7, 8, and 9th 10-5. This is a great way to get off the beaten path and into the backyards and galleries of some of our best local artists. There are maps and ideas on the Fresh Art website. I encourage you all to check it out and plan a weekend around art and exploring the Great River Road.
Lots of love to you all from farmlandia!
Sarah
YES to cello :-)