by Heather Plett | Dec 6, 2009 | Uncategorized
When I threw out an invitation for interview questions, Connie, the delightful artist behind Dirty Footprints Studio, decided it would be fun to interview Maddie, the budding artist in our home.
Hi Maddie!! My name is Connie Hozvicka and I am an Art teacher, and the artist over at the blog Dirty Footprints Studio. Getting to know you and your art work is one of my favorite parts of your Mom’s blog. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview with me!
I call my studio Dirty Footprints Studio–that’s where I do all my artwork. Do you have a name for your studio as well?
I call it “I like Art Studio”. It’s kind of small. It’s under a table.
What are your favorite materials to use in making art?
Crayons, paint brushes, paint, and paper. And scissors. Recently I made a flat person – I flattened myself to look like a pancake. I call it Flat Madeline. We were doing an activity at school where we were making flat people and I decided to make one at home. These are the materials I used for my flat person.
Who is your favorite artist and why?
Leonardo DaVinci. Because I like the Mona Lisa.
What is your favorite color?
Pink. And purple. And blue. And bright green.
What advice do you have for people just starting out making art?
Start by doing something easy and then work your way up to harder stuff. Start by going to the store to get some art supplies and then test them out.
What other fun things do you like to do when you are not making art?
Soccer and swimming. I like to play with my stuffed monkey, Joe Banana.
What piece of art work are you most proud of and why?
My painting that I made for my sister called “The Purse”. I’m proud of it because it’s good.
Thank you Maddie!!! I hope one day we can paint and make Creative Juicy ART together. Big hugs!!
Connie
For more on the adventures Madeline the artist, check out her NEW BLOG! Yup, that’s right, since she likes to steal the spotlight around here, we thought it was time she set up her own space. Go on over and visit! www.madelinemakesart.blogspot.com
by Heather Plett | Dec 5, 2009 | Uncategorized
Sometimes, it seems, everything shows up in the same week. Like this week. Board meetings, concerts, school events, church events, board dinner, new staff starting – and that’s just the big stuff. In between there are kids to feed and deliver to soccer practices, flyers to help deliver, groceries to buy, etc., etc.
I survived. That’s about all I have to say.
And somewhere in there I managed to squeeze in a very worthwhile visit to the Karsh exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. It’s worth the price of admission.
Plus I managed to finish reading “The School of Essential Ingredients” – a delightful read!
Oh… and the Jann Arden concert? Fabulous. I’ve seen her five or six times and she just keeps getting better and better.
One other thing… I may be one of the only women on the planet, but I did NOT sleep with Tiger Woods. My husband almost wishes I had so we’d be “in the money”. But buddy, you’re the only one who shares MY bed!
Just one more thing… my friend M is one of the least racist people I know, no matter who says otherwise. (You know I love you, M!)
by Heather Plett | Dec 1, 2009 | Uncategorized
December 15th will mark a big day around here for the Fumbling for Words blog. It will this blog’s 5th anniversary AND if all goes as planned, it will also be my 1000th post! That’s a lot of reasons to celebrate, so I’m cooking up some goodies to share (yes, there WILL be prizes) and a few things to inspire your creative juices.
In the meantime, though, I have to cram in a few posts between now and then to get to 1000. And next week I’ll be on the road, so posting opportunities will be slim. Soooo… I need your help with a couple of things…
1. Interview me! As I was looking over my blog archives, I came across a few posts where I’d answered people’s random interview questions and they were really fun to re-read. So here’s your chance – leave a comment on this post asking a question about whatever you’d like to know about me. I’m an open book, so go ahead and ask… My shoe size? My bra size? (Yes, I already posted about that, so if you dig hard enough, you’ll find it.) What’s my favourite childhood memory? What’s the hardest thing I’ve ever lived through? Just ask! (But don’t ask my kids’ favourite question – who’s my favourite daughter? If it’s Monday, it will be Nikki, if it’s Tuesday, it will be Julie, if it’s Wednesday, it will be Maddie – the rest of the days are free-for-all.)
2. I’m looking for some guest bloggers! With my busy travel schedule next week (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI – here I come!), I won’t get to blog much, so this is your chance to speak your mind at Fumbling for Words. The topic can be your choice, but I’d like it to be something fairly uplifting/celebratory/inspiring/creative in honour of my blog-iversary. Maybe you’d even like to write something about what has inspired you most at FFW? If you’re up for the challenge, send me an email at heatherpl at mts dot net. I’ll need all submissions by Friday, December 4th so that I can set them up to post while I’m away.
Thanks for being part of the lovely little community hear at Fumbling for Words!
by Heather Plett | Nov 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
Watching my youngest daughter fall in love with reading…
Baking mountains of Christmas goodies with my mom, sister, daughters, and niece…
Meeting my friend Eveline’s first granddaughter…
by Heather Plett | Nov 27, 2009 | Uncategorized
I’ve been thinking a lot about shadows lately. Last weekend when I was painting hands and faces, it occurred to me that most of my energy was spent trying to get the shadows right. Without the shadows on a painting or photograph, the hands and face have no shape.
It struck me that that’s a powerful metaphor for life. Sometimes we get lost in the shadows. It feels like the light has passed us by and may never shine on us again. Eventually, though, (and sometimes very slowly) we emerge from the shadows into the light, and the warmth and brightness is so much richer because of the time spent in the shade.
If there were only light in our lives, it would seem flat and uninteresting. But throw in some shadows and various intensities and shades of light, and suddenly you have shape and beauty. Though it was hard to believe at the time, I am a richer person for having been through the shadows of death, rape, more death, the near loss of my beloved, and many lesser shadows.
Making Art
Dipping my brush into the paint
I wrestle with the shadows
The face emerges
Only because light balances with dark
Dipping my memories into the past
I wrestle with the shadows
The beauty emerges
Only because hope balances with fear
by Heather Plett | Nov 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
Maddie has been quite taken with the Flat Stanley books of late. (For those unfamiliar with them, Flat Stanley is a young boy who gets flattened when a bulletin board falls on him. Being a flat boy has its advantages – he gets to travel the world in envelopes.) Maddie’s class is doing a Flat Student project in school, and Flat Madeline has already made her way to Kenya where she will spend a little time with my Aunt and Uncle, take a few pictures, meet some of the local schoolchildren, and then make her way back home.
Three dimensional Madeline made an extra Flat Madeline to keep at home and had taped her to her door where she was holding hands with the Flat Stanley cutout from the book we’d bought recently. (I think a romance was budding.) Two weeks ago, just as I was rushing out the door to fly to Alberta, I said “hey – maybe Flat Madeline would like to come with me!” 3D Madeline got very excited and tore her alter-ego off the door and tucked her in my computer case.
With the whirlwind of activities at the beginning of the trip, I didn’t remember to take Flat Madeline out until we’d reached Regina, halfway through the trip. There she finally got to eat soup with me and my companions after a long and arduous journey.
Dining with us was my friend and co-worker Paul, who was leaving directly from Regina to Rome to be part of the official Canadian delegation to the World Food Summit. Being a father himself whose own children had done Flat Stanley projects in the past, he said, “well, if Flat Madeline has her passport in order, she’s welcome to join me on my journey.”
Though I offered her the alternative of a day trip to the Rockies, Flat Madeline would have none of it. With barely a backwards glance in my direction, she jumped into his briefcase and was whisked away on an adventure across the ocean. When I told 3D Madeline about the change in travel plans, her eyes lit up with possibilities.
After Paul’s official duties were completed, he took his new flat friend on an adventure.
To Constantine’s Arch…
To the Colosseum…
And to Ostia Antica…
(I just love the fact that Paul, a policy wonk who was in Rome hanging around with big muckity-mucks in the upper echelons of power took the time to take pictures of a little child’s drawn paper cutout! It shows the whimsical father heart buried beneath his official position.)
Now that she’s had a taste of adventure, Flat Madeline won’t stop bugging me about where she can go next. If anyone would like to invite her to visit your part of the world, let me know in the comments (or by email) and 3D Madeline and I would be happy to serve as her travel agents.
