Arjun's garden

Arjun is a MUCH better gardener than I am.  He actually enjoys digging - ALL kinds of digging.....

and working and planting and watering.  In fact, I would say that he enjoys the work more than the end results.  I am the opposite.  I like the part when you relax and gaze upon the work already finished. .. The flowers blooming in the weeded and well watered garden....the brilliant red sliced tomato resting on a toasted bagel with cream cheese...the smell that the enormous tomato plant gives off when it is so large that you can't help rustling the leaves when you pass....mint tea...cut flowers.
Arjun and I make an excellent team.  This year he did all of the work.  He grew tomatoes, basil, mint, rosemary, sunflowers, marigolds, zinnias and morning glories.

He chose the seeds and he chose the plants.  He decided which would go where and he did all of the digging and planting and most of the watering.  I did the sniffing and smelling and gave them a drink when they looked thirsty and their caretaker was not around.

He's the coolest.

Robot City

Robots are the big thing around here these days.  We are robots, we eat robot food and we do robot work.  We are good robots, not bad ones.  I have heard Arjun explaining this to the dinosaurs that live on our kitchen table.

Last week I made a robot screen using the photoemulsion method.  I wanted sharp lines and intricate details, otherwise I might have cut the initial screen from contact paper.  I have not yet figured out a foolproof way to burn these screens so I usually opt for cutting contact paper.  There are a lot of advantages to using the photoemulsion, though.  Including:  sharp details, the option of using bleach to discharge tthe dye out of the fabric rather than using ink to print it onto the surface....durability.  I'm sure there are more advantages that don't come immediately to mind.  Anyway.....this was a lucky day!  I burned three screens and each one was successful!  First time ever for that!  I attribute it as much to luck as to experience.  Hooray!

 So.  We printed a batch of robot shirts

 and robot underpants

and even a robot curtain.

 And now....it turns out...that Arjun cannot go to school - or any place else - without wearing at least one robot.

I have been interested in printing more than one color for some time now, but since I do my printing my hand, I always worry that getting the registration right will be too much trouble.  BUT, lately I have found myself admiring textiles and wall coverings from the 50s in which the registration is off - either intentionally or not - or insignificant, and I love the way it looks.

Arjun told me that he wanted the new curtain in his room to be yellow and black.  With robots.  So, I cut the silhouette of the robot screen out of contact paper and I tried two color printing for the first time.  I love it and so does he!

 Of course we had to make two color shirts and two color underpants....

I even snuck a robot onto the wall.

Ack!

I forgot to bring the appropriate wires to the farm which leaves me, at nap time, without any work to do!!!!
My plan had been to photograph new dresses and add them to my new website:  www.mylovebird.net
- definitely a work in progress - and to post more farm pictures, wedding pictures and swimming pictures.  Arjun is getting to be a little fish!
Here he is explaining to me how "cooly" the pool will be after he finishes putting his "tools" into it: