Spring Reflective | Recovery | Saint Bernards to the Rescue

Bottle form with dry dill weed seed stalk.

Today

Life is unfurling in the garden, without much intervention from me so far, the soil is waking up. Our brave tulips are taking their stand as red tipped peonies and tiny calendula seeds send there starter leaves, little arms up to test the atmosphere. The silver thistle is in miniature, but I know their unearthabley deep tap roots are waiting to send energy up to expand like a fire work. Robins, cardinals, sparrows, starlings, and grackles survey the scene.The garden is going to be a big experiment this year as in ... my four year old is going to take the lead on planting the zinnias, sun flowers, and nasturtium. I bought white, orange and red zinnias. My husband will have to put the holes in the ground for the dahlias, chrysanthemums, gladiolus. Things I usually look forward to doing myself, the start of the Spring for me. By the time the colorful balls of petals erupt around the garden, I hope I can move among it, cutting, weeding, admiring pollinators.Recovering from a hip replacement at 41 is no joke. I have lost all authority to enforce my 2 and 4 year olds behavior, and there have been some ugly moments. But we are coping and doing well. I am grateful that my parents are here from the East coast. There are still a lot of little things that add up to the kids feeling unmoored, but they are resilient, and they are acting out less. I worry that my son whose anxiety emerges by picking at his skin is taking to a small scab on his face, like he did with my first recovery from the broken hip three years ago. It feels like a puzzle that is missing the ‘mom’ piece. I will say we are one week in and I do feel much better. I’m doing everything ‘by the book’ and I am feeling optimistic about seeing old friends at my first show in Chicago this year- the Pottery Market, hosted by Wilderhouse. I can’t wait.

Saint Bernard Rescue Print

It seems like the right time to re-release a piece I made many years ago. The world is bleeding with pain, unjust, ignorant decisions are made by our supposed leaders.

 The funny thing about this print is that it seems to remain in the minds of friends who have seen it, even as these years have passed. My college friend who is also recovering from a serious injury recently asked if I would make a print of the piece for her new home. The inquiry came as a surprise, and it made me feel like there is some kind of significance which is difficult to capture in words, that is conveyed with this watercolor-ink painting of a canine friend, gently descending over the foggy mountain-scape. 

I made this print in 2011 as a reflection on the tsunami in Japan. I feel like today, we need helpers, and we see them all around us. We need to hope too, and realize that the relatively uneventful events us late millennials and early Gen Z folks lived through from a perspective in the US (as me, speaking as a overly sheltered oldest daughter to French Canadian immigrants growing up in a college town) was a blimp in time. The world has always been ugly and dark. It has also always been a hopeful place, a place where people come together to make beautiful fantastical things. Know that this may seem innocent or uneducated to say- but I do read about climate change, I try to stay on top of the news from actual news sources (thankyou, Guardian) I probably consume too much. I often feel small that, I cannot change anything. But that is a farce because like a wave at the stadium, with each of us doing what we can, things change. As ugly as things are- remember that we are all survivors of a long line of ancestors - there are always beautiful things if we choose to see them and act upon them. There are solutions if we remain open, and willing to go against the easy way, or look away. We can be inclusive, we can do the kind thing in our daily lives, donate to local mutual aid groups, to bail funds, eat less meat,  protest, talk about what is happening, and simply say that every human being, weather they came to this county on their own, enduring a dangerous journey for hope of a better life, weather they choose a gender different than that assigned at birth, weather they are exercising their right to free speech and speaking out against the genocide in Palestine, or protesting for the innocent people jailed at the Broadview detention center in Chicago- it matters so so much. I see you and thank you. There are more people who want peace and acceptance, positive social programs, of course I can go on... well... This piece is dedicated to those folks. The helpers. Those that stand up.

I am offering fine art prints of the piece, titled, 'Rescue' , 2011 for a limited time on my site. You may choose from a natural or a black wood frame. The mat will be- 2" as pictured in the natural wood photo, above. Order Here

The original piece hangs in my son's room (below). It is set in a reclaimed black frame, with a large mat, probably 4 or 5" mat. If you would like the deeper mat please contact me and I will bill for the larger mat & frame. 

I’ll leave you with a wish that you are well. The world feels hard right now but there are kindnesses that we need to see. Happy (Late) Transgender Visibility Day.

xo- Emilie