Progress: 9/30 - #18. read 30 texts that will aid in my teaching

I've been so busy with arts & crafts and reinventing new ways to be self-sufficient that this is, somehow, the only book I've completed this summer. This leaves me, essentially - on a ratio - one book behind on a three-year goal. I'm not too concerned. Books to me are an escapism that make waiting in transit possible (of which I've done little this summer, with zero international travel), that make quiet evenings possible, that make lunch breaks on bad days tolerable. Etc. Etc. Etc. I'll get there. I've been content in my own head these days. This is something for which I am grateful.

Anyway.

When first I spoke about reasserting my Métis identity a few years back, a colleague said: "You should read Three Day Road." I continued to hear about Joseph Boyden at many conferences since this recommendation, and started reading more about him and his literature. I almost picked up The Orenda, until I realized it was a continuation in a series that began with Three Day Road. I then decided to log the latter on an ongoing "To Read" list. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a $200 Indigo gift card some time back from a contest held by my union (one of many reasons I am indebted to my union!), and sat there at my computer screen with my "To Read" list in hand, picking off books. This was obviously one.

Now, at almost 400 pages of tiny text and brutal war descriptions, this is no light book. I'd recommend it on my 2D multicultural list to only the very mature readers. It could be a great pairing for a 4U ISU. Near the end of the book, the protagonist ruminates: “We all fight on two fronts, the one facing the enemy, the one facing what we do to the enemy.” This is the odd and exclusive reason I appreciate war texts, for this is what they illustrate about the human condition.

There is so much foreshadowing that I anticipated the ending well before the midpoint of the text as the only logical meeting point of the two parallel narratives. This kept making me wonder if perhaps I would be shockingly mistaken, or if I was meant to sadly anticipate the way in which it would all go down, so to speak, and simply wait for how. I think if the latter were possible, it didn't even take away anything from the narrative to me: just spoke of the brutal degradation of humanity in such a scenario. I kept reminiscing about this class I took in university called Literary Non-Fiction, in which we read - amongst many other texts - Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Of course we knew the inevitable ending. This was real. We were only waiting. (This called up all sorts of ethical questions with regard to ourselves as readers that I have always loathed having to face, but that's sort of an aside.) My professor asked: "What is the purpose of a parallel structure?" I raised my hand, and was selected: "At some point, they have to meet."

The structure here is a little different, as it floats through space and time within both narratives - told more in flashbacks than in present tense. However, unlike any postmodern text, this is entirely fluid and never disorienting.

Boyden is a beautiful writer. I do want to read the others in the series.

[Original goal list posted here.]

Completed: #21. silkscreen shirt with anatomical heart on sleeve

I bought a $3 Dollarama t-shirt on which to test this first, in the case that I was unsatisfied with the print. I'm actually pretty stoked!

A small section bled at the edge of the screen, but now it's quite easy to tell where it is. I'll OxyClean it after I heat-set the rest, and I'll fix the screen for any future runs. (Along with any areas where the screen filter chipped after first print and clean.)

Like I said, eventually the whole large screen will be a quilt of tiny patterns just like this one, to keep and update.

Screenprint is pretty badass. I forgot how much fun it can be - and how potentially productive!

[Original goal list posted here.]

Progress: #21. silkscreen shirt with anatomical heart on sleeve

Screen is all prepped, and set to dry for the evening. Since I'm printing a sleeve, I'm not too worried about blocking out any more background - but, should I need to, I'll just use tape.

I'll aim to acquire a shirt while I'm out running errands tomorrow.

I think I'll just leave this corner as is on the screen. If I like the design, I may even use it to print on slabs of wood for Treecycle shows / sales.

I'm envisioning keeping this screen full of tiny little squares of designs just like this one, which I can keep and print at will.

Further ideas, always.

[Original goal list posted here.]

Progress: #21. silkscreen shirt with anatomical heart on sleeve

It's been a few years since I've worked with a silkscreen. I decided to use an iron-on patch and a permanent Sharpie to work on a high contrast preliminary drawing this evening. 

I think this is the one I'll use:

I'll aim to prep the screen tomorrow, perhaps.

[Original goal list posted here.]

Completed: #19 - read about local flora & harvest material to brew my own tea

I spent a couple hours of the early afternoon up in my new reading room, perusing these two field guides:

One of my favourite aspects of my new rental property is how overgrown it is with all sorts of trees. I've already put them to use with supporting a hammock, and providing me with Cedar sprigs for medicine pouches and sugar scrubs.

Today I used these guides to identify the trees on my lawn I didn't know: Boxelder Maple, White Spruce (which is also called a "Blue Spruce," but not in either of these guides). I read about the ones I already knew: Cedar, Sugar Maple.

I learned that Cedar is potentially toxic if ingested, and actual fatalities have been reported. Somehow I was under the previous impression that maybe it would make a good tea. Thanks, guides to medicinal plants and herbs!

However, I also learned that Spruce tea is common (though most prefer Black over White, considering the latter too bitter). High in Vitamin C and antioxidants, Spruce teas were formerly used for such ailments as tuberculosis and scurvy. Today, they are documented to be of use for stomach problems, rheumatism, kidney stones, laryngitis, and weight loss.

However, one should NOT drink this tea if pregnant.

I decided to give the White Spruce Tea a try. I used a combination of these two sites when preparing my tea.

It is recommended that a person harvests the newer, lighter Spruce sprigs for a more delicate-tasting, less bitter, tea. These are completely simple to identify visually:

I cut about 3 or 4 sprigs, which was an absolutely ideal amount for a first try.

Next, I took the sprigs inside, washed them, and separated the needles as best I could from the bark. I then chopped them into small pieces with scissors and placed them in a (Western) medicine container (the irony).

Next, I covered a small pot of water on the stove, setting it to boil.

I put all the pieces of Spruce needles (about a tablespoon total) into a tea ball strainer, and placed the strainer into a large mug. I covered the mug with boiling water and let it steep, using the chain to sift the strainer around occasionally.

Verdict: A hot tea on a summer day that tastes just like winter. I do not find it too bitter, and I'd drink it again. It's kind that my lawn is presenting it to me for free. Nature!

For variations: It seems that the needles could also be boiled whole. Steep for 10-15 minutes. Sugar, or a sugar substitute may be added for a desired sweetness.

[Original goal list posted here.]

Completed: #34 - clean up / organize / revamp art studio

I think I meant to do this in my old place. However, by the time it became apparent that I was moving into a much larger space, with room again for my own studio, it seemed like sort of a moot point if I were to do it, simply to do it all over again.

Therefore, my "before" shot is of the old place:

This is the state of disarray in which I had resolved to keep it, under the rationale of "Oh well, it's a studio. It gets messy anyway, right?" The creation of Treecycle only heightened this rationale, as I was inundated with branches and needles and slabs of tree trunks that I wasn't sure how to sort and that were frequently in use.

As you can see from the labels in this photo, some attempts of organization were in fact made prior to this palimpsestic mess. I do need to tell you that they were not mine. I shall reveal to you that once I was sick with a 2-day vomitous migraine (an unfortunately common experience) and my mom came to help take care of me. During my long bouts of sleep, the neglected cry of the messy studio was too much and she went ahead - metaphorical scythe in hand - and hacked away at it, leaving handwritten thematic notations as to where she piled the clutter. Geoff's response to this endeavour: "I've been wanting to do that for months".

I did end up reducing some of this clutter to about 3 bags of garbage and 4 of recycling when I put in my notice and the landlord decided to give his tours of the place. (Apparently there were 30 views and the place was snatched up that day, so I guess I did okay. I sent an email warning about the inevitable clutter of an artist's studio beforehand. I don't think he was too pleased. Non-artist folk, yeah?)

In the interim, I started thinking about ways that I would ideally want to organize a studio, for optimum use and ease of tidying. I love the idea of organizing by theme. (I actually really do love organizing, when I'm not either feeling particularly defeated or just generally masochistic.) I realized I needed much more in the way of small parts cabinets. This actually started my great discovery of Bunz (thanks, Steph!) and my renewed gusto for garage sales (Thanks, Geoff!)

In short, this organization was as inexpensive as it was efficient. 

I have already used this studio for finalizing a rustic wedding ring box, and decorating a pair of canvas sneakers for a wedding reception. It's actually quite easy to clean when everything has its right place.

This four minute studio tour below explains a lot of the more finicky details:

[Original goal list posted here.]

Completed: #33. use curlers

I acquired these velcro rollers at a clothing & stuff swap quite some time ago. I realized after mentally-making-up-my-mind to use them that I didn't have any hairpins, so these are affixed with a combination of various sizes of paper clips, hair clips, and a feather fascinator on a hairband. FANCY.

Perhaps for this reason, or the fact that my hair is deceptively thick and ridiculously long [insert inappropriate joke, I know], or that I didn't leave them in long enough to dry, these didn't work for me at all.

However, here is proof that this happened:

New goal: Be on a postage stamp, yeah?

[Original goal list posted here.]