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| photo credit: Renée Parker |
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| A victory |
I recently sat down with my young niece to show her how to make her own stickers. We grabbed some old magazines, scissors, clear packing tape, and a bowl of water for this easy project. First I had her find and tear out some images she liked. The magazines had lots of animals, including a favorite of hers, the axolotl. So we cut out the tiny pink animal. I helped her make a smooth, close cut around the image.
As a multimedia artist, a natural side quest of mine is, well, to do a little, well, collecting.
It's me. I'm the nosy neighbor. Ever since I spotted this doorway, I've had my little telescope (and now my phone camera) poised to capture possible movement.
Recently, I had the opportunity to plant a seed and pay forward something that was given to me many years ago. I had an idea to pass on some knowledge my grandmothers shared with me when I was a child.
As an artist, commissioned work has served as both a learning opportunity and a proving ground. In my business, where I offer both original creations envisioned by me and custom commissioned pieces, I sometimes provide "off the menu" options.
My name is Renée, and I'm blessed to be an aunt to a number of young people. Three of which I have within my immediate grasp and influence.
I sometimes like to think of myself as a junior or "bonus" mom. And I do my best to show and teach my nieces and nephew (5, 14, and 15) things I think could be useful and pertinent for them in life. That includes how to have fun.
I'm taking a moment to reflect today. It is now late July and therefore more than halfway through the year. We have yet to reach the dog days of summer, but I'm looking out on a muggy, cloudy afternoon, watching for the latest round of storms to hit and thinking about how quickly fall will descend on us.