Category Archives: art

A new tattoo to illustrate the ineffable

Posted on April 12, 2020 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

“Wow, you had a tattoo before it was cool to have a tattoo,” said Mike, the guy planning my inking session said. He clarified, “Okay, tattoos are cool no matter what, but 20 years ago, there were only a couple … Continue reading →

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Riffing on a classic: navarin [boeuf] printanier

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I’m usually inclined to follow Dorie’s recipes exactly, especially until I feel comfortable with the result.  This week, though, I had several reasons for making some signficant changes. Dorie Greenspan‘s navarin printanier sounded worth a try, but I have never … Continue reading →

Posted in art, family, family meals, food | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

Words and pictures

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Gorilla Girl continues to produce art.  She combines words and pictures, uses a variety of materials, and tells stories with her pictures.  This recent creation seemed complete, so I thought I should move it to a display surface.  Gorilla Girl … Continue reading →

Posted in art, family, inspiration | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Intertextualizing five-year olds

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I visited Monkey Man’s class yesterday, and his teachers shared with me his story dictation (parent helpers and teachers take dictation while the kids tell stories, and then later the class acts out the stories as they are read aloud). … Continue reading →

Posted in art, connection, education, family, lessons, movies | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

By Nightfall: Michael Cunningham

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Michael Cunningham is one of my favorite authors, and his books, The Hours and Specimen Days, are two that I have come back to when I want to think more deeply about the conditions of modern lives. Cunningham’s characters, even … Continue reading →

Posted in affluence, art, book review, By Nightfall, identity | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Making art, gorilla girl style

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Gorilla Girl has been making new pictures lately, as an addition to her budding work in photography.  She draws animals, people, g00-goos, houses, boats, cars, trains, designs and decorations.  She sketches flowers and mermaids, family and friends.  Most importantly, she … Continue reading →

Posted in art, experience, family, growth, identity, inspiration, motherhood, unexpected gifts | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Tell me about your tattoo

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

One of the most memorable lessons of 7th grade is the “Interview and Experience” Project.  We assign students to identify, contact, interview and “experience” a slice of someone’s life. The person they choose needs to be different from them in … Continue reading →

Posted in art, connection, education, experience, growth, identity, inspiration, lessons, loss, memory, motherhood, scars, tattoo, transformation | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Extra ordinary life

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

This summer, I went to Paris and Montpelier, France with my high school friend, to visit my college friend and her partner. It was the first time I’d been away from my family for an extended time. And the first … Continue reading →

Posted in art, expectations, friends, motherhood, paris, travel | 3 Comments

Possession

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I saw a mouse late last night in my house. It could be the colder temperatures driving them into seek shelter.  It could also be the lure of neatly stashed food, under the futon against the wall, stored by M, … Continue reading →

Posted in art, collecting, inspiration, motherhood | 3 Comments