Big Blog/slices of life

What's wrong with this picture?

Scenario:  #3 kid gets up and has breakfast.  #2 kid gets up and a loud "HEY!" is heard from the kitchen area.  Kids.  Perhaps someone needs to go to bed just a bit earlier so he can cope with the morning routine, eh?

 

This one has the right idea.  He has built himself a tartis to get to school for book week.  He totally looks the part!

Meet Dr. Who aka Will who walked the Book Week parade looking very much the part.  This picture only tells half the story of a  kid with a determined mind to explore life creatively.  I would like to step into that tartis myself and catch a glimpse of what this boy brings to his life as I am sure it will be greatness!

I would also like to find out what happens with this mess...How can one work under these conditions?  I just tidied up this space but have recently become overwhelmed with creative options and have started SEVEN projects!!!!  Yes SEVEN.  It is an exciting time.

 

BLING!  It's the next day and low and behold...
After a night of slow and methodical organization this space is ready to go again.  That tube is the lates progress on the Come Fly with Me bom.  It means there is a quilting project sitting longingly on the chair but I am really enjoying the hexagon process for one of the blocks.
I have collected a lot of tools over the years and found this one to be really handly last night.  I have done some of the hexagons with a glue stick and some with basting...(mostly because at one point I found myself with my glue stick packed with my scissors in my bag on a long flight...ahem.)  Anyway, there are a lot of papers to come out of this block so I got out my big sewing machine tweezers and the work was done quick smart.  It struck me as I did this process how many things there are that we do that are behind the seams.  It was actually a really relaxing process.  As each paper came out I was reminded of all the things I had done while assembling the block and the progress I was making with these small bits that were actually a big bit now. 

At the shop the design wall has been really busy working settings, borders and just showing off some quilts of our many busy customers.  Loraine brought in her finished Twisted Traditions block of the  month from round one.  That first time (we are now on round 3!!!) we did a "pretty" version.  Here is what it looks like finished!

Really pretty! Trouble with this is I am now thinking we need to add in the pretty version again!
This one isn't quilted yet but it is always an interesting process to put it up on the wall and talk about quilting.  It is like meeting up with an old friend when a quilt top started a year ago shows up finished. 
Loraine has also finished this diamond quilt which is loosely based on a Kaffe quilt.  We had to resize it to fit the centre fabric which was key for setting the colour panel.  That's a lot of work done and like the hexagons brings many days gone by to mind. 

As the trees start to bud up and spring starts to peek over the early morning horizon I can feel the need to hit the road as John and I are now planning to head out to photograph quilts for the next book... at last.  There have been so many events on the calendar this year and it seems like forever until now.  In the meanwhile, quilts have been gathered and stored all over the house.  It worries me how they get stored so that they don't get those annoying folds in them.  It is always such a shame to see a nice quilt with a set in fold.  One great way is to hang them over a banister out of the sun and another is to roll them up on long tubes.  In fact having always been a box hoarder I am now a tube hoarder as well for all my applique and hexagon projects.  There is no end to my love of cardboard!

Slice or life...starts and finishes...they come in all shapes and sizes.  We recently gathered on the sideliines for the last of the schoolboy rugby in our family.  Saturdays spent on the sidelines started a decade ago.  I can still remember the shock horror of standing on the sidelines and watching Oscar play his first game.  I was HORRIFIED!  There was a scrum and a kid was up and running with the ball.  Attached to his ankles was another boy being dragged along the ground in an effort to bring him down.  The kid on the ground was Oscar.  That single moment has always reminded me of his tenacity and determination.  He is now a junior school coach and was as a result attacked by a mob of young aspiring rugby players as he watched Noah play the last game.  Here is one of my favourite teams with Noah, the captain, in the middle.  It was a year of steadfast determination for these guys that brought them a great result.  Thanks to our friend and coach Mr Williams and Mr Roland...a coaching team as passionate about the game, the sport, the boys as possible. 

We have watched these guys fight all year with pride in heart as they earned respect during a season of hard work and knocks.  Although I can still watch Oscar play for Norths and follow Sam on the soccer field this represented an end of an era for us.  There is something about gathering on the homefield sidelines that I have always loved.  The pacing, the fear, the cheers and the tears.  I have to say I'll miss it all.

Another milestone each year is the annual art show held last weekend.  It was hilarious to see these boys, normally going hell bent for leather on the field, now standing in front of their artworks.
Here's James standing in front of his paintings which were interestingly painted on a variety of working surfaces like peg board.  They are an exploration of the "human frailties of political leaders and moral dilemma's of our political landscape". Hmm, I wondered when I saw him standing there if he imagined this work while walking off the rugby landscape with blood pouring from his nose...

This work visually represents the communication chaos created by the advances on the internet.  In the description he reveals that cyberspace provides us with a medium to share our inappropriate, intimate and aggressive thoughts with our 500 closest friends.  

I also really liked these photographic images that capture the attempted facades of young people as they struggle to shape their persona.  I just get these images and thought he did a great job in an original way.

This artist won the year 12 prize...no wonder. 

As did this one with his realistic watercolours.  It simply catches the imagination that these guys have this in them when I normally only see them being...well...less serious.

This series of images depicts and compares the injustice of the stolen generation by contrasting the Aboriginal upbringing to that of his own mother over text from Kevin Rudd's apology speech.

Here is another piece I really liked in clay...

 

The we moved onto the other boys artworks which included photography, painting and sculpture.

These are two urban landscapes that Sam did.  And here is his painting of Julian, lead singer of The Strokes...someone who shall remain nameless suggested he has a bit of the hippy in him like his mom.  Don't tell him though.

My nephew, Harry,  (and Dr. Who's brother) did this which is also a favorite as it reminds me of the artists my father in law collected and hung on the walls of the family home.  Interesting influences....

It sat in contrast to his other work of a rap artist.  Interesting contrast in expression!

There were lots of others...

So many styles, interests and ideas.

 

This is a snap shot of a community I love.  Times like these, as we gather and see the living spirit of the boys are simply magic.  Bound by mutual respect for each other's achievements in all areas from the sporting field to the debating, arts, and oh yeah, academic arena.   As the HSC approaches the final hard lap I wish all these boys a sense of security in themselves to achieve at their best level.  It is a long year but one full of triumphs on many levels.

Yikes...gotta get to work.  thanks for listening...k

Comments

[adele]

handy hint for you Kathy

Fold your quilts on the bias and they won't get that nasty seam. Just means your quilts will be folded into triangles instead of squares which means you save space as four triangles equal a square.

Loving the Fly away with me BOM, three birds to go and block is finished.

Adele

[Cathie]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and life with us

[kathie]

art work is amazing for high school kids, thanks for sharing. its hard when we have stood on the sidelines for years watching our children follow their passions and all of a sudden its over and they are moving on to the next level....yes last year was weird not having to attend a concert every month somewhere , no driving to rehersals, lessons, etc...just drove her out to Indiana for her second year of college, now how did that happen?
Kathy I am surprised only 7 new projects?
Kathie

[Bec Clarke]

wow what a talented group of boys. They should all be very proud!!

[ann]

James' paintings of political figures are AMAZING! He is very talented - tell him to keep on painting!

[Moncler Outlet]

it even worse that he took this project from another person and proceeded to slop his crappy writing skills all over it.

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