artist and model
Monday, March 16, 2009 at 8:01AM 
I have been using my children as models for years now. Beyond the obvious reason that they are readily available, is the idea of working together with your children on real life stuff and in the process your lives stay connected in a deep and organic way. The way I grew up was punctuated by my father going to something called the office every work day and mom going off to teach while the kids went off to school. When the family was all home for the evening the kids were in the den watching television while dad helped mom grade papers. It all felt pretty disconnected and thin.
I have really enjoyed having our children interwoven into our life together which includes our family business of art making. It is a constant challenge to keep the train on the rails but it is a worthy challenge because there seem to be few examples today of what a family really knit tightly together looks like. So we continue to struggle to find a way that works. What works one year may not work the next so it is necessary to continually reevaluate our methods.
Yesterday we had an impromptu art show in our front yard and carriage house studio. It was great fun with the whole family, the neighbors and the people driving by who stopped out of curiosity.
Rose sold $40 of her textile art and we sold $40 of cards. We met new people and reconnected with some friends.
It would be great to hear of other families ideas on keeping things sewn together in ways that feel natural and growing.
Reader Comments (2)
I am so glad i found your blog! I feel super inspired! The way you describe your life is like the way I dream mine will e someday...
so interesting to compare what we live as children, what we do not want to repeat as adults...and how we try to defend, adjust, improve our creative lives! Sending lots of warm and sharing thoughts from our papermaking hill in Italy, where we live in nature's paradise, but lack good human neighborship... Catharina (nightcloud on etsy and nightcloud1 on flickr)