Narrative Continues

Rebeka's lovely sculptures are now emerging from the clay.   The snow and constant hot/cold weather have really cracked and dissolved right through the clay.   I'm really happy with the progression of this project.   I cannot wait until the whole figure of the babies are visible.  


Follow the rest of the progress and future installations at:  http://www.facebook.com/ex.pulvis

Winter Happenings

(Our good friend Sarah took photos of us while we made some breakfast. 

See the whole pancake make'n set at::

https://sarahkatherinedavis.squarespace.com/blog/2012/12/25/the-traughber-family

UPDATE ON MILO::

We decided to stick with working with Moo's teachers and at home on his sensory issues.  They seem to have dissolved almost completely.  I see him through the two way mirror in his studio kissing, hugging, and greeting all his lil friends each morning.  He confidently finds his work and navigates his social circle.  At home he tells me constantly how Daddy is his favorite daddy and how much he loves me and Parker.  He's calm, though he still has his 4 yr old feral fun moments, and he's gentle.

I think getting more comfortable with school and more confident, he isn't as anxious.  He's been really on task, even helping me move each chair in his studio to the carpet so they could mop.  He is the first to clean up, and the first to offer to help out around the house.

Milo has also developed (through school I believe) a clear dialogue and has found the path to clearly communicate his ideas to us.  I noticed that the amount of vocabulary he's accumulated is growing rapidly.  His discussions are more layered and involved with critical thinking.  I believe this has alleviated a lot of frustration for him.

I just see a peace in him now that had dwindled before.

She's 100% wet clay at the moment.  I don't think she'll last much longer with all of this snow.  I went to dig out excess clay from the inside and the walls started to move.  The sculpture seems to be in a very fragile balance, close to collapse.

Two figures are visible from the top now. 

Her identity is completely dissolved. 

A few days before. 

A few days before. 

We finally snagged a night out at the NABC holiday party.  It was fun, maybe too much fun.

My Rainbow Blossom co-workers.  Seems there's a NABC/Rainbow Blossom hybrid family happening.

Rainbow Blossom ladies.

This year we decided to truly surprise the kiddos for Christmas.  I had the kids write letters and draw pictures for Santa and put them in the front window for him to see.  Ben secretly wrapped all their presents, put them in a huge box, then wrapped the 2 large boxes.   He put them at the front door guarded by large nutcrackers holding notes with each kids' name.  He rang the doorbell from the garage ringer, and the kids flipped out!  They didn't know who would be at our house that late, then when they opened the door they started screaming and jumping!  (We did this Christmas Eve night).

Nana (my mom) Holding Zoe.  Zoe is wearing the wild headband I made for her. 

I also made each kid a felt super hero mask (Zoe had a baby Hulk mask, but it got lost).  

Todd (Spiderman), Parker (Catwoman), Moo (Hulk), Peter (Wolverine), Eli (Ironman), and Isaac (Batman)

Purple lips courtesy of Pop's Reserve

Rudolph

Rudolph #2?

End of the Semester

Lots of busy happening.   Lots of good friends.   The good life.

Custom piece I did, back to tinkering. 

The Sculpture is starting to transition into our narrative, though at the same time taking it's own path.

Rebeka was right, the sculpture dried really white.   Love that surprise. 

Rebeka snagged this shot while we were working on building up the body.  Really neat to look back on where it started. 

I got my self-portrait and an install into the juried student art show.  I didn't get a photo of the self-portrait yet.   Anyway it was a really different experience.  I don't like installing in galleries.  The whole process was too open and stale.  I really only want to install in weird nooks, old rooms, or outside.

How I found Parker the other day.  She was hiding from me.  

Surprised? No... Just Sick of Not Being Surprised...

CNN... how is this an amazing sports moment?!   These dogs are golden as long as they're winning... when they lose (like Lo' who was injured on the track, then beaten out of frustration until a bystander came to her rescue), they are beaten, at times the polar opposite of humanly euthanized (yes cases of putting bags over their heads in storage units and letting them starve to death, or 3,000 greyhounds who were shot * because 100 bucks a vet-kill is too expensive when you have 100's of dogs going through the system... and not killed, but thrown over into a ditch to die....)  How can we ever use the word "sport" with animals who don't consent???   who are you if you get pleasure from this?

    Living in the Derby City, I know... I'm probably out-numbered... but that lavish hat looks so tremendously outrageously splendid on you & "oh how jealous the neighbors will be when they see you have box seats.." ...  and it boosts the local economy yeah?   wow...  $$$$ over life... a thriving theme these days. 

I think how we choose to treat animals shows a very honest reflection on how we choose to deal with all life, even our fellow humans....  I'm no better than you, I just started to challenge my own thinking.  That's the first step.


When I was part of Lo's rescue I thought I was adopting a dog 2-3 yrs younger...   I didn't know she'd be a senior citizen with corpse breath from her decomposing teeth (due to mal-nutrition from birth to 2 yrs due to her track-to-cage to track-to-cage life where they fed her just the right food to give her stamina for the track but not for the quality of her life).  

But here she is, and she is wonderful and emotionally connected and soulful in every action (more than I could hope from most human companions).  She cuddles with my cat and mother-hens my children even tucking them in one-by-one each night.  She pulls me with no reward from my dark places and pushes me through another day.

Damn it...  I adore her, despite the fact she's used up and tossed around home from home.   How exactly do you think any of these dogs exist beyond their winnings?   Did you think that far?

My only regret is that I don't have room for more.   When I think of the "sport", I understand it's human nature...  But if you think of it... So is playing in our own feces and banging our fists on our chest in aggression.   I'd like to think the majority of us are more evolved, but maybe I'm just a dreamer. 

Germs and Install!

Every Traughber caught the stomach virus, and not even a week later we all came down with the flu.  It's been a rough semester for good health...  

I did however start my new job at Rainbow Blossom, so hopefully next semester will be an improvement in regards to health.   

Regardless of the flu, today was the day to install.   Luckily Rebeka started early and cut the sculpture and got it into her vehicle.   I slept in a bit to get some added rest (was up all night with coughing and sore throat).   I met her at the Carnegie with my germ proof scarf (so I hope!).   It took just 3 hrs to install.  I am completely beat and probably pushed a bit too hard today, but it was totally worth the end result!   Plus Rebeka provided much needed positive energy :)   I was running a bit low on that lately. 

We snagged part of a large cable spindle from my Grand Dad's farm to use for her base.

*photo taken by Rebeka :) 

http://www.facebook.com/ex.pulvis

^ Visit our facebook page for more photos & more installations ^

I took the kids to the BFA show Saturday.   Here are two photos I got to snag of Rebeka's works.  The baby carriage is from my Great Grand Mother.  For more of Rebeka's work go here::  http://RebekaAnastasiaTrapp.blogspot.com

Last, but not least...  We did another round of Traughber scouts last week.  Thanks to Nana, we had a gingerbread house to put together.  I let the kids run with it :) 

In contrast to this low-energy post... I am in high spirits and excited about all that's happening :)  I just feel like I'm going to crash.  I'm up for some much needed sleep.