Islington Mill

So here we are in residency finally. It is already day 3, if we count the day we arrived. The place is just sooo great. I can't imagine I am really here!

Back to day one- travelling day. What I can say, It took about all day (including train from Tampere to Helsinki) but everything went well, our boys were great little travelers. Etienne took photos with my phone. He have nice point of view and I like to borrow camera to him for this. Nicola was taking us from the airport. That was a great help after a long day. Out of the window of the car we looked all things that aren't the same that we know. Autumn have just begging here, when in Finland i is the beginning of the winter already. We were like biggest tourists as we were screaming look at this, look as that! And I was happy for the boys and happy for Laurent as I saw them so exited.

Second day: night with many wake ups, thanks to Aarni, and very early wake up at five as boys are still in Finnish time. 

After breakfast we looked the neighborhood. We found playground near and walked little bit around. 

At afternoon came Traë to play with boys. I didn't wait too much of that, as usually my boys are too shy to really participate anything, specially with people they don't know and who speak language they don't understand. But it looks like to be the best idea for my Etienne specially! Traë have took some great photos of making that, I unfortunately didn't but it is a kind of project that continues. It is the first thing Etienne speaks in the morning, And he wait Friday, when Traë and Xander are coming back. What hey actually did was decorating sheds, that are just there, almost just outside of the door. Nicola and Traë have collect all kind of material for boys to build with and Traë seems to have very good touch with children. Etienne was grazy about it! We play about three hours non stop and today Etienne would like to go there all of the time. Aarni had a nap time, so he didn't participate at first session, but he have been interested of it today. We went to food shop with another helpful woman Elyssa and at evening we were doing some planning with Nicola.

Today we have hang around here at Islington Mill in the morning. Boys wanted to play at sheds and I was making some warming up drawings at my studio. It is not easy with boys. 

At the afternoon we went to see Manchester. We walked a lot and saw many places and when we wanted to come back our bus didn't go where we wanted, so we walked more. I was tired.

What I am thinking now:

- It is still not easy to make art when boys are around. I am that kind of person that likes to work alone and if my children see me, they want to be with me. And even if I take them with me in studio, they don't draw their own stuff but they want to participate or ask my help all the time. Etienne prefer to stay at ”home” so can't always send them somewhere too.

- I am bit jealous also to boys and Laurent as they seems to create so easily.

-This place is really dreamy. I have a great studio and atmosphere of the place is so inspiring.

- I feel thankful also of the fact that I have already met so many great people here!

more thinking tomorrow.