Late in the evening

Ok. So this is only playing with dirt. So what? Do you remember the absolute bliss of making mud cakes? My mother didn't like me messing about in Her kitchen. So I baked My burgers with lovely Mud. And it was all perfect. Today I played with dirt while I was waiting for Lucy to get a good dose of sunshine and running around after school. I found it painful to be away from my drawing desk. Do you get that?

I think I called this blog-thing the wrong name. I should call it Annamaria -looking-for-something-. What am I looking for? It always feels that I will find something at the end of this hour, this day, this drawing session- I don't know what. I feel compelled.

Last night I added the links to my favorite blogs. It takes me a lot of time to figure out how to do things like that, I make all sorts of wrong turns and then suddenly its done and I think oh! that's straightforward, why did it take me so long? It's probably because I am always rushing- that also accounts for the numerous spelling mistakes. Forgive me... Anyway, I wanted to tell you how absolutely I have loved these blogs, these women are amazing artists, women, mothers, daughters, writers, the works. I have tried to navigate my way through Flickr lately too. That is also an amazing experience. The world is making art. I tought art for years, but this is such a fascinating way to learn as well.

These are two of my favorite' small blessings'. They continue each other's thought.

In Greece when I was a little girl they had a shadow theatre called Karagiozis. Well,
its still around but more like a fragile antique. The main set where the whole play was acted had one small hut on the right side(that was Karagiozi's house) and a large palace on the left side(for the ruler of the land).

Our childhood memories are our blessings too, don't you agree? What I cherish about them is that altered perspective in space and sizes, and that sense of awe at new and wonderfull things. I actually remember learning the names for things and how I had my own language in my head and I was telling myself :"in their language they call it ..so.so.."

I think that never left me, that wonder and happiness when I learn something new.

Farm produce,end of April

S. said this little one reminds her of her girlfiends and just of womanly things. I thought that was sweet. This one turned out to look a bit on the angel side . The truth is I was thinking of Icarus. But I do work that allows for a big element of surprise and unplanned joys, so as long as it doesn't look like a fairy (because I am not that kind of girl) -it's fine.

More of Icarus. I am thinking of the flying angel by Rembrandt, you can see the back of his feet,what a superb thing. And then the painting by Breughel of course, where we see Icaru's feet as he's taken the plunge. What an amazing painting. Brueghel had a great sense of humour I am sure. In a Monty Python kind of way.

Icarus means a lot to me also because I left as well. I left Athens for life on a Greek island, and then I left that for a small town on the mainland, and then I left all for Canada. You see the wings now, its not just about my daughters...Is it like mother like daughter?

Something has shifted though. I feel more acceptance, more at peace. (well, sometimes)

a sunday to put our house in order

Some good porridge with delicious strawberries and bananas goes a long way. This is a hungry teenage boy getting ready for his Sunday job. He is cool, he is taking care of things. And yes it is still sunny.

There are treasures to be found even in the most uninspiring and neglected back yard.

This is what it's all about, finding the treasures in unexpected places. This is why we do art is it not? This is what we try to do on a daily basis- small blessings. Even now with so much miserable world news, and a handfull of personal challenges it is still possible to find those pockets of joy and beauty.

Today: we put our house in order-cleaned my studio floor...(amazing but true)

made tiny carrot muffins with Lucy(she loooves baking)

then she did some deweeding with her dad. (she didn't know what it would be like ,poor thing, and she got so excited she was going to do something grownup with her dad!)

cleaned my studio desk- I looove a perfect white surface

had a lovely walk , lunch, Starbacks, the works, with Lucy and dad.

found some interesting views in a neglected backyard

saw some exciting artwork at Flickr- it makes my adrenaline flow and I just want to run and paint

I thought about St. John(L.) and 'all you need is love' and how that is actually a bit too abstract, and sometimes a little misleading, but we still love him don't we?

I thought about Lucy's list of 'things I can do by myself' growing and growing- she cleaned her room today, vacuumed and all- I wish the teenagers did as much- I think our basement has turned into a jungle-

So, that was our day, walking hand in hand, being silly, cleaning our respective corners, munching on the yummiest things we can bake with the least sugar possible, watching Lucy and Dimitri grow into such lovely people- hope that some of our other loved ones will come to their right minds one day- loving, missing, worrying, looking for pockets of unexpected blessings.

A good day.

Then there is some of Friday's artwork. There he is Icarus- I can't help it with the Greek mythology, I grew up with it and some of the stories keep ringing in my head as unresolved puzzles, they need me to pay attention- Icarus, Icarus why did he fall? Was it arrogance, was it hormones, was it misinformation, was it carelessness, was it self-obscession, was it a passage, was it technical malfunction, was it lack of focus, was it looking for the wrong things, was it wanting the instant gratification thing, was it an addiction, was it the result of a bad childhood, was it a virus? I love Icarus, I fell many times at his age. It hurts. It bloody hurts. And where is Superman when you really need him? Has anyone ever heard of a flying Supermom? No I don't think there is one. The reason is simple, Icarus would tell her to take a hike before she makes him look totally uncool- or something like that- Icarus, Icarus ,Icarus- and there is mom with her binoculars because she is not allowed too close and nobody likes her now anyway- yes, and she feels so sorry for herself- true self-pitty- but Icarus will rise from the sea where he fell, because afterall it is only the sweet Mediterrenean and he will do some suntanning on the beach, and eat something wholesome, and repair his wings- Oh, Icarus please love your wings. Mommy really loves you.

And after all that, Starbacks.

Have fun, enjoy, be inspired, eat well, sleep well.

Spring goes with icecream

This is the best ever icecream in Vancouver! I never used to like icecream but now I am converted! I miss my eldest daughter Elli so incredibly much. She, as well as my second daughter, have been caught up in the turmoil of conflicting family cultures. When I see young women with a wild fashion sense I think of Elli. She has a great eye for mix and match. She changes her hair continuously, loves all the nail, make up, high heal-girly things. I only wish she took better care of her wings.

And some flowers.

And some pink. I have never seen so much pink in spring as I have in Vancouver

I hope to write some more tomorrow. I can't believe another Sunday has arrived already. Have fun.

Flowers and Lucy'garlands

Sure sings of spring's arrival .

Three blessings on my towel. These are so precious to me now. There are many things, very important issues that are all muddled up in our lives right now. Things that begun a long time ago and are still unresolved. I am at a loss at how to deal with them and so I go through every day trying to focus on the blessings that are still with us. My artwork elates me, brings me immense joy. Being able to put some beautiful shapes and colors together in an innovative way, in an exciting new way, that is such a gift and it makes my life meaningfull. Facing the bullying fear of failure that... makes my day! This is one of the last drawings from Steve's sessions. Its done on rice paper, a surface I find very exciting because its very unpredictable.

And some plants that have seen their better days but I haven't done anything with them yet because they have bulbs and I am not sure what to do with bulbs.

And just look at those green leaves in the sunlight!

So I did say I was not any fabulous housekeeper, I was very honest about that, and yes Lucy and I had no matching socks today. But they did match in a way...

Spring blessings and watercolor blessings

My neighbor has planted the most beautiful fig tree in his garden. I have never tasted any of his figs, I am such a good one!, but I do envy them and I love the form of this tree in all seasons. It has been the inspiration of many of my' small blessings.' This 'small blessing' I have also worked on a few times. I feel the composition has much potential, I haven't yet exhausted it.

This one is a fun experiment and again I haven't got exactly what I am looking for, but the whole idea behind the 'small blessings' is to experiment, follow the brush ,or a shape in my head and see what happens.

And then there is spring, finally here, my heart sings with all the pink, lavender and white blossoms.

Wherever you are, have a good day.

sunny Monday

This is part of yesterday's treasure hunt. A leaf in decay, but I have never before seen or noticed the underlying stucture, thin as the thinnest of silks and surprisingly strong not frail. And some artwork: Helene's transformation to a flower pot.I will try to put down some thoughts later, now I have to cook. Lazy mom's cooking pasta with tuna. Thankfully the children love it. The house is a mess. I am so behind with my househeeping duties and I really don't like them but I also really don't like other people cleaning up our messes. I don't like other people going into my bedroom. When I had some house help I used to feel incredibly guilty when she would come over and the house would be dirty. I am in a twist aren't I? Well off I go the happy housewife!

Sunday stuff

Lucy has a new craft station which she has found very inspiring. We realised that watching tv. even in the weekends was very destracting for her so we have limited it to an hour or so only on Saturday mornings. As a result of this we are very happy to watch her read a lot more and do crafts a lot more too. And don't you love that haircut?

We went out for a long walk and enjoyed the quiet, in spells between showers. Lucy went on a treasure hunt and collected rocks for reasons only clear to her. What is it with kids collecting rocks? I tried to stir her into collecting within a specific theme like heart shaped rocks. She was happy.

And this is my beloved gazing out to the unknown...

Lucy's hand tracing hundreds of years of history on the body of a tree.

I remember my first impression of British Columbia as we were flying in from ; it was of curves and more curves. We were lucky to fly over a good part of it on an unusually bright and sunny day. It looked green, lush, soft, curved, nothing like the dry, rocky, lavender mountains of Greece. Both places ,however, are very sculptural, made of amazing masses you want to hold in your cupped hand.

This picture was a happy experiment. It came out better than I expected- interesting patterns to explore!

Lunch Saturday

Isn't it a lovely thing having a lovely lunch served to you, no fights over who will wash the dishes, everyone treated to a different delicious dish, such simple things can feel like such luxuries, such pleasures.

Lucy came running to my studio to show me her latest creative venture.She says she doesn't love drawing and painting as much as some of her friends, yes- she would rather be hanging from the monkey bars, but she actually spends all the rest of her time doing something crafty and artsy- I love it.

She is taking embroidery lessons that she really enjoys. Maybe she will teach me some.
And these are a couple of my favorites from this week's work at the studio downtown. I am pushing myself to be more playfull, its easy to get involved in a competiton about who has made the most accurate likeness-but there must be more.

Flowers for my birthday.

The eggs, after they came out of the oven. Lucy loved doing all this. She would do it on a daily basis!

These are some of the eggs my friend Marko sends me every easter from Toronto. They are so very very lovely . He actually takes the inside of the eggs away through these tiny holes. They are so fragile and light which makes them ever more special. He usually sent me quite formal, traditional designs, but last year he made a special egg with a landscape that was inspired by his visit to the west coast. He came to Vancouver to see us and get some good skiing as well. What a treat. We had been best friends at the Ontario College of Art and after I moved back to Greece we hadn't seen eachother of something like twenty years...

On our way to school I saw these and I had to take a picture. Shadow theatre in blue and green.

Have a good one!