sunrise – Hilary Clark Studios

SAQA put out a call for art for the next traveling trunk show, with no jury or acceptance process. The only requirement was the piece must measure 10″h x 7″w, no more, no less. I thought it would be fun and quick to work on a small piece, one that would travel with the show for up to three years (what a great opportunity to get my work out there!). While I was correct about the fun part, I was incorrect about the quick part. Turns out, when one is working small, more detail (i.e. quilting) is needed to really make the piece pop, or at least that’s how it worked out for me.

When I was pondering design ideas, through both brainstorming and doodling, I kept coming back to a doodle I’ve been doodling since I was in about 2nd grade. I’ve always called it my sunshine doodle. The only thing different between the very first sunshine doodle and a more current version is the current version doesn’t include eyes and a smile on the sunshine. Seriously, people, I’ve been drawing this thing for over 40 years. You’d think I would have come up with a new idea in that time, but apparently not.

Sunshine Doodle - The Doodle — The doodle

So there really was no contest when deciding on my trunk show art piece. After all these years, it was time for the doodle to become art.

Sunshine Doodle (link to poem)

Next up: Back to my cross series with Crisscross (Hot Cross Five).

I don’t often get to visit my niece, Big G, or my nephew, Lil’ G. They live across the country, so we Skype for holidays and I fly out a couple of times a year to sleep on an air mattress in Big G’s room. When she was born, the first of my brother’s children, there was an instant connection between us. The last time I visited, I arrived late at night, after the kids were in bed, then woke up at dawn because my internal clock said it was time to be up. I brewed a cup of coffee and sat on the patio, enjoying the sunrise before the heat of the day. When Big G woke before the rest of the house, she came to the patio door. My arms opened wide, she climbed in my lap, and our arms wrapped tight around each other for a hug. We sat like that minute after minute, happy to see each other again. Then we started talking about books and poems and cats and art and Paris and all the things that she and I love together and everyone else wonders how the things I love the most came to be the things she loves the most, without me ever telling her until she told me she loved whatever it is. The magic of family, of God’s connection, I think.

No one knows where Big G’s love of Paris came from. One day, she started talking about it to her parents out of the blue. They told me the next time we talked and I admit to being surprised. I fell in love with Paris when I was young and I don’t know where it came from for me either. Maybe that’s just what some girls do when they are growing up and reach a particular age.

It’s easy to share books and read each others poems. It’s not as easy to share Paris, at least not at the age she is now (a trip is planned when she turns 18…things to look forward to!). Then I realized it was easy after all. I could give her the gift of Paris, the iconic symbol of Paris, with my art.

Someday, Paris (link to poem)