Hot 100: The Mommy Angle

Something every mother/artist or really any parent/with outside work or interest deals with.

 Basically it comes down to this...

How do I intergrate my art production into my everyday life without shortchanging my kids?

A top priority since my kids are home for the summer and they like/have to be fed, clothed, carted around etc. on a regular basis. Besides I really like hanging with them and want to do it as long as they, you know, actually still like hanging around with me.

Yet I wanted to create a strong body of work this summer too...So how to handle this?

In fact there is even a documentary about this dilemma called, "Who Does She Thinks She Is?" Which didn't really resolve anything in my opinion but still a good watch for those interested.

Hot 100: Various Pieces 

First,  I needed to figure out how to have many “quick and dirty” art work sessions also add up to something substantial, maybe even exhibition worthy.  Yet each session needed to be resolved and stand alone on its own merit.

Quick!  Time to Make Something Dirty...

Secondly, my work space had to be where my kids are hanging to have as little car time for this as possible. Hence the birth of my tiny, tiny home studio...

Tiny Studio Competes for Space with Fridge, Car, Tools, Sports Equipment etc..

Thirdly, my materials had to be what I had around and a workable size for the aforementioned tiny, tiny studio. Again avoiding the whole drive/errand time thing.

Great unintended side effect of this small scale-portability, to ironically get me back into the car (but with a very important difference - all of us in the car going to the same destination together).  A bit of the Hot 100 was done at the mountains and river (or rivuh as they say in Richmond), just threw it all in a plastic bin and off we went!

Let's Go Make Some Art!!

Finally, my process had to be segmented so that I could work in short time increments that could fit easily into even the most crazy busy days.  Sometimes it was done before breakfast had to be made or between loads of laundry and other exciting memorable domestic goddess moments.

So far so good...