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.]

Progress: #38. go on more experiential learning trips

On Monday, I drove into Brantford by myself. The drive was straightforward until I hit the Six Nations reserve. I made it to the city in about 1 hour, 15 minutes - and then, what should have been a 5 or so minute drive, took me 40 minutes of twists and turns and revisions via Google Maps. I found my way, and I was only the 4th latest person there.

I never would have been able to accomplish this task any year but this one.

I was here for one of OTF's Summer Institutes with FNMIEAO, where the theme was reconciliation. 

During the morning introductions, Nancy Rowe said: "If at any point, someone in this circle breaks down and starts crying, we stop everything we are doing to bring that person back to where we are. Western society has it all wrong, you know." Inevitably, three people cry - and I am not yet one. They stop the circle to give clean water to drink from a copper cup - Nancy says "We shed the dirty water and replace it with the clean. Crying is healthy." 

It reminds me of Firekeeper Rob, whom I met not this past November, but the one before, who said "In Western society, they give you a tissue. Essentially, this says 'Stop crying'. We don't encourage people to stop crying. We give them water, to replenish." 

Nancy says something along the lines of "Nothing is scripted. Sometimes I say something and I do not know why. Why was I talking about crying? Ah. The spirits sometimes come in."

In the afternoon, we participated in the KAIROS Blanket Exercise, which sort of shakes everyone to the core. Educators, I suggest that this is something you take into consideration.

Later on, we carpooled to the Woodland Cultural Centre, which is the former site of the Mohawk Residential School. I've toured this place before - but this time, it was with survivor Geronimo Henry, who stayed there for over 10 years, year-round. He talked about the importance of telling stories with interspersions of humour, even if they were not largely funny. He touched on the day-to-day experiences, as well as residual and intergenerational trauma. It really got to me. I asked if I could take a photo of his tattoo, which he said was meant to be a memorial to his survival, and how he was once only a number.

He said, "Sure, and you're not the only one to ever ask." He tells us he thinks it was in Time Magazine, or something.

My trip was cut short due to a clerical error (Edit: Mine). There was no room booked at our lodging in my name. I did not cry; I made it home in one fell swoop, and was sick for 36 hours. I'm still waiting on clarity.

[Original goal list posted here.]