Quite obviously, I suck at blogging. My last post was quick and dirty and way back in June. It's now September. True story. Considering that few people stumble upon/read these words, I have actually felt kinda guilty about not posting for most of the summer. I have spent an inordinate amount of time greatly concerned about everything I haven't managed to do this summer, thereby pretty much ignoring everything I have managed to do...which is actually a lot. So, in classic grade-three, first week of school-fashion, I present to you the highly-pictorial (as all good school projects should be) "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" edition of my seldom-updated, often fretted about, but never forgotten-about blog.
1. I started a new job. Technically this started back in April, but really, the learning process was so involved and so intense that it has felt as long as the summer. But I have been able to keep up, get better and be happier with it than I initially thought, so I suppose that counts for something. 2. I exhibited at two amazing shows; the Glamour in the Glebe jewelry show in Ottawa in May, and then in August, my usual annual stint at the Oakville Art Society's 44th Annual Art in the Park.
The Glamour in the Glebe show was incredible; I met some very talented artists who, as an extra bonus are really cool people to spend time with, got some time to hang out with my parents and the divine Ms. Excellence herself (all of whom assisted me at the show, which was supremely awesome) and made a TON of sales, more than any other show to date. Two months after the show, I was making sales on Etsy to people who had seen my work there. Awesome.
The Art in the Park show was, as usual, a super fun, friend-filled, heat-strokey good time, made even more exciting and rewarding because Mike was exhibiting as well, in his first ever appearance as a participating artist, rather than support crew.
His set-up looked great, and the crowds were really drawn to his work.
I had to allow myself a small moment of spousal 'Ha! I was right-itude' when I saw how much he was enjoying himself, as I had told him, several times during the mad stressful preparation while I was melting down from the stress myself, that he would look back on all of the craziness and see that it was worth it. He did. It was really worth it. He's planning next year's show already. My participation this year had veered so noticeably from painting to jewelry, that I spent some time, while painting, thinking "man, I could be making jewelry instead...that's what I'd rather be doing." And, the sales absolutely reflected that. For the first time in 4 years, I sold no paintings, but lots of jewelry. When I was recounting the show to him, my Dad simply said "well, there's your feedback and validation on what direction you should be working in, eh?" Yup, guess so.
I'm looking forward to doing the show again next year, but I'm wondering about whether there will be any painting in it...still, I did like the new work that I produced for it, and it does light a painting-art-making fire under my ass for the months leading up, which only results in good things, boundaries stretched (sleep lost) and all that good stuff. Worth it.
3. I completed some very cool commissions.
Commission #1: For Father's Day, a dear friend asked me to create a pair of cufflinks for her husband as a tribute to their newborn son, who's middle name is Jasper (his first and last names are equally cool...as is he!) We chose some lovely ocean jasper to star in these, my very first set of created cufflinks. I was really happy with how they turned out, 'cause they were a fun little challenge.
Commission #2: A wedding tiara and some horse-shoe shaped floral accents for my lovely friend J who got married in July. This was a labor of love for me ; apart from the fact that I ADORE making crowns of all kinds, and playing with pearls and sparkly bits is heaven, J is a superlatively amazing person who deserved some fine wedding finery. I was over the moon to create these pieces for her.
The horseshoes were to satisfy a family tradition, and they created a really neat challenge...how could I make horseshoe-shaped charms that could be added into her bouquet to add a little sparkle, and then be removed during the ceremony to be given to members of her family. I was lovin' the idea. I was very happy with the results...which included a very happy bride, and so really, it was just joyous from start to finish (including the wire-burned fingers...I wouldn't have had it any other way!)
Commission #3 was a recreation of a pendant that my friend Heidi ordered for her sister, a horticulturalist.
I was immensely flattered to create this piece, I love it when my pieces that are thematic end up with someone who's life work is in the same vein (like the beekeeper who bought my honey-comb ring...awesome!) This pendant was embossed with two maple keys and was set with a gorgeous blue-grey diamond-shaped natural sapphire...it was tricky to set, but I was pleased with it. These pix aren't the greatest, but Heidi reported that her sister was thrilled...yay!
4. We performed all over the damn place. This spring was busy, and the summer festivals kept us on our toes, literally. Brantford, Burlington (in a torrential rain storm, no less) Bronte, Oakville, Milton...We finally shed our nervousness and our choreos and performed live and improv, like a proper ATS troupe. It was a big step up for us, and the Sheridan show (where we 'popped our improv cherry' as we chanted after the performance) was the highlight of the season for me. I have an indelible, glowing memory of hitting my favorite move, in the lead position, at the best possible point in the music, that I think will never fade.
5. We got away. Not away away, like my lovely Diana who got all the way to Europe to celebrate her 25th in backpacking spirit and style, but away enough to reset our brains and refresh our perspectives on things. At the end of June, Mike and I got away to his grandparents' cottage for a family reunion of sorts, in celebration of his grandparents' ?60th? wedding anniversary.
I was incredibly humbled to be witness to that...what else can you say, 60 years is utterly incredible.
We really enjoyed a little slice of roadtrip weekend too...it was only after we were back to work after the few days off that I realized just how rejuvenating the weekend getaway really was.
We were also lucky to get away for my brother's birthday...a one-afternoon trip to Rock Point to have our brains scrubbed clean by the pounding waves and faux-ocean view. There was the prerequisite eating of roadside poutine, penny candy and kite flying, as well as getting up close and personal with some dead fish and painting an incoming storm. Rounded the day out with a crazy sushi feast at Sapporo in the Hammer with 21st Century Jester, which ended with pretty much the best rendition of 'Happy Birthday' ever to be witnessed by mere mortals. The photo says it all, really.
We got away to Ottawa few times too...once in August, and again about a month later. These trips always contribute to my brain's ability to reset and refocus for new projects...like the BelleTorc project that has been thwarting me all summer...I finally made some headway with this project, as these pix would suggest.
6. On one of these trips home, I went skinny dipping with Ms. Excellence in the chilly Gatineau on a misty, silvery afternoon. We ate a lovely dinner served by her most excellent grandmother, and then hightailed it into the river completely buck, ignoring the army of dock spiders that seemed to make-up the very construction of the dock, and swam, swam, swam. The sun came out when we were mid-swim. Our reward when we got back was ice cream. It may have been the most perfect slice of summer imaginable.
7. Starting somewhat with the participation in #6, I appeared to get my groove back...kind of. Getting laid off last year put my survival-mode into overdrive, and so things like hair-cuts, and, oh, general style, were allocated from 'pleasant occasional necessities' to 'absolutely unaffordable until a later date'isms. I started to ignore the fact that the highlighted part of my hair was now shorter than the unhighlighted part of my hair. I started to ignore how badly I needed a pedi, how my eyebrows, though fair, were increasingly robust, and most-worringly, how all of these short-comings made me feel. I believe the best way to describe it was 'schlumpy and defeated.' But I totally ignored how I felt every time I looked in the mirror. And then one thing happened that changed it all, that snapped me out of it:
8. We got tattoos.
Mike and I celebrated our 10th anniversary of being together on Aug. 19. We decided, very off-the-cuff (no pun intended) to go get those tattoos we'd been talking about forever. We had just hours to decide what, where and to deliver the art for them , which was a strangely liberating timeframe. Noon on Saturday after our anniversary found us in the chair at Good Point Tattoo grinning and bearing it...or rather, grimacing and bearing it. Hoodaddy, that hurt. But... I love my new ink so much, and I love what it represents. And suddenly, I didn't feel so defeated anymore.
9. So, in addition to tattoos, we decided to spend our 10th anniversary in a memorable yet financially sensible way...cleaning our apartment, building a new white-box studio for Mike, and painting our walls in soul-soothing blues to keep our mental-selves in check. While doing all of this physical labor with newly inked wrists was somewhat challenging, it was worth the trouble. The apartment feels huge and airy, Mike loves his new studio, and I'm really pleased to gaze upon the pretty blueness, the art that we love, and open quality of our new space when I get home from work each day. Plus, I have a place to put a vase of flowers now...which means I'm spending part of our market-food-budget on flowers now, but whatever. We also scored a sweet new 'retro' sofa from my aunt and uncle, which they delivered to us after we helped them prepare for a move in early August...we were seriously in need of a new sofa, and this one has been a welcome addition to the new digs...even with it's killer 80's pintuck styling...
10. We got into a magazine. All of us, all of the house-troupes of BellyUp were featured in the summer edition of Belly Dance: A Raks Sharki magazine!! This is a huge honor, and one that couldn't help but bolster the confidence of all of us involved. The immortally divine Rachel Brice is featured on the cover...I am over the moon to be a.) in a magazine because I dance, and b.) to be in same issue with the one dancer whose influence has been my North Star for the past 7 years. Also...how frikken hot does she look on the cover!? I really love the photo that they chose as our troupe shot; it was taken on such a fun day. In all seriousness, I've been dancing for over 7 years, and when I started, I never, not once, ever thought that I'd be performing, ever. This is a really sweet 'win' for me, and it proves to 'unbeliever Erika' that maybe she should just shush up for good.
11. Fueled by an ink-induced high, an appearance in a magazine, and a deep need to take another big step forward, I chopped all my ratty, two-toned hair off, dyed it dark brown and bright scarlet, and got the angle-bob hair cut that I always wanted. I've been getting a whole lot of flattering (and hilarious) feedback about it too...my friend Scott, a dear, dear friend of 7 years who I see almost every week, didn't recognize me at all. The guys at work looked at me quirkily and then suddenly exclaimed "wow, I really like it!" Mike has been crazy about it, and truthfully, so am I. Who knew an afternoon of snip and colour could do so much for a girl? It's completely changed my perspective on my work too, and I'm finding myself leaning strongly to creating some new lines featuring portraits of strong but fictional women, funky illos and some wicked humor...but I'm not sure how yet. Which is ok, 'cause this week I'm still spending a fair chunk of time reminding myself not to look too damn surprised every time I look in the mirror...
12. Though I briefly touched on this in #8, it bears repeating. Mike and I have been together for 10 years. 
No small feat, these days. We are proud, and more connected, passionate and inspired than ever. Also we proceed to make each other laugh to the point of near-stroke each day. Seriously people, I'd put money on us...just sayin'.
And that, people, is what I did on my summer vacation, which wasn't a vacation, but rather a summer that was endured and enjoyed. As soon as I post this, I just know that I will remember another 10 things that could've been added, however, I really do need to get to bed before it's officially fall...