Motherhood and art once again

I have been breastfeeding my children now almost five years all together. And it has been very important for us. It has been always clear to me that I am nursing long time, even if it has surprise some people around me. My firstborn I nursed 3 years and with my lastborn we finish just now, when he is 2 years and 9 months.  Finishing is bit wistful.

But suddenly I can sleep all nights. Suddenly I can wear clothes that don’t have easy opening, suddenly I find myself planning my own things, works etc.

It is not only that, and not only the fact that both boys are now in day care, but somehow everything starts to become easier.

When I started to write this blog I didn’t seemed to find a way to make art. I was full of questions and no answers. Today I haven’t made more art but things don’t seem to be so blocked anymore. I see some light; I start little by little to feel that maybe it is possible to work again.

At the same time making questions to other mother don’t seem so important anymore, but maybe my little research would give some comfort for somebody else. I have tried to interview some of my artist friends but this is holiday weeks from schools in Finland so they can’t answer so fast.

Treasures

When I was child our family travelled a lot, as my father had that kind of work. When I was 6 or 7 years old we were spending part of the summer in Stavanger in Norway. Our luggage arrived late and all mine and my sister’s toys were there. My Mother says that my habit of collecting stuff from the sides of the road comes from there, as we had to create our own toys by what we found.

I collect things like that:

And especially I do it in new places. I think these treasures vary also in different places. For example in France, Chambon-Feugerolles, where I was in residency in year 2002 I found lot of pins like this:

(Photo borrowed from Internet)

Maybe it tells something about the place also.

Before I haven’t made anything of my treasure, I have just collected them, but this time it might become a part of artwork.

Now I want to transmit my strange habit to my boys too. Etienne already collects nice stones -and cones and acorns sometimes.

That will be one part of our art projects in next two weeks. We will be big explorers all the family and we will collect all kinds of samples of Greater Manchester (sounds, pictures, drawings, maps, treasures etc…) and examine them and exhibit what we have found!

That is frame for our projects and it could include individual smaller projects that depend on individual interests. I will see if the rest of the family agrees.