Need more time

Speaking of art and motherhood... I was all over both this weekend. Don't know if I'd need forty days and forty nights to explore the Skirball Center. But I sure could've used more than two hours.

We took The Boy, TwoBoo and and the niecey-nieces to see the "Noah's Ark" exhibit.

It's like an interactive children's museum exhibit, but better: all the animals are made of recycled bits and thingamabobs.

Check out the crocodile's eye ridge -- it's a glove! See if you can identify the other recycled bits, kids.

You can make the animals march in two by two...

 

... and climb the rigging... 

... to pull a rope that makes the elephant's trunk wave.

Who knew there'd be so much to see? I remember when the Skirball Center was nothing more than a flat patch of dirt. But it's not just a kids' fun center. Oh no.

Twelve of the original 1000 Journals are on display -- and you can contribute a page to the project!

Love that I don't have to explain it to the kids. They just want to jump in.

No time to do my own page. Gaaah! And guess what's opening tomorrow -- tomorrow, people...

A Maira Kalman exhibit! (Closed during installation, but I could see this above the barrier...)

Jeebus. Where have I been that I didn't know about this?! Oh yeah... a thousand miles away. I need more time and frequent-flier miles.

A podcast shout-out to artist moms

I tell you, there aren't many things that are more fun than hanging out Ricë Freeman-Zachery and her husband Earl...

 ... except maybe doing a podcast with Ricë! Which I did last week, with Aimee Myers Dolich of Artsyville, as we talked about risking sanity and carving out time to make art while also being somebody's mother.

I first met Ricë three years ago at Art & Soul Portland, and sometime last year Ricë introduced me to Aimee on Facebook. As Ricë said in her post about the podcast, she's not exactly the motherly type (although she's said she'd be happy to meet my kids when they're a little older and less prone to stickiness). But Aimee and I are not exactly uber-Mommy types, either, so we have a lot to talk about. Go listen!

Support your local artists BEFORE the last minute

Now that I'm doing all these exhibitions and events, I'm thinking a little more about Supporting Local Artists. Obviously, selling your work is why you're there... but it's nice when someone you know makes the effort to cheer you on too. So say hi to Roz of ScarfCity!

I got a gorgeous knit head scarf that buttons in the back, like the one below, only red.

 Perfect for throwing on my head for the walk to The Boy's schoolbus stop. Roz is a member of EtsyRain, the official Etsy street team in Seattle. ("Etsy Teams are groups of organized Etsy members who network, share skills, and promote their shops and Etsy together," according to the Etsy website.)

You know how it is... once you try one you have to try more...

 This one's from Emily of Sly Spider Designs, who shared a table with Trilby of TrilbyMade.

These squid pendants are recycled leather, laser-cut. Trilby tried hand-cutting them once; she says it took eight hours just to do one.

Julia of Entangles made a necklace I picked up for one of my sisters-in-law. Sorry, can't show you the necklace... I never know when the SIL in question happens to find a moment to websurf and I don't wanna ruin the surprise.

Funny how a skilled DJ can get you in the mood to buy more stuff. 

Like the doll from Hasenpfeffer Incorporated that I picked up for one of my nieces. I came back for two reasons: they're cute as all-get-out, and they come in different skin shades. And yes, I made sure to tell the designer Daniela why I came back.

I also picked up a coupla pieces from UglyBaby and Greenbelts... and I think I'm just about spent. Someone else want to pack 'em up for me? I'll take care of the shipping...