Every other Friday night, I have a quiet night at home with Miles and baby D while the older kids are out and about with Dad at their church youth groups.  While they have Bible study, scavenger hunts and Karaoke, we relax in our peaceful home.

This week, Miles and I decided to start a painting club.  We have a very involved secret handshake.  And we both work on painting projects.  We decided that sometimes, we’ll invite other people over to paint with us.

Here is what Miles made:

I made some stuff too.  Here’s what I noticed.

I had a vision of what I would make.  Miles just made.  My work turned out a bit stilted and contrived.  His flowed.

I worked on my painting until it was over worked.  Miles knew when to put his painting aside and start a new one.

I am not usually so uptight about art, but I think I’m out of practice and was a little anxious. Yes, I was anxious about Friday Night Art Club with Miles.

When I was in school, I had a wonderful drawing teacher – Crossan Hays Curry – who shocked us all in 1st year drawing.  We drew the model, each of working SO hard to demonstrate our lofty 18 year old “skillzz”.  After 30 minutes or so, he asked us to tear off our drawing, wad it up, and throw it in the trash.  We did this every day, every drawing for a month.

by Crossan Hays Curry

When we were through, we knew that we were students.  We were learners, experimenters, free to make mistakes or make beauty – either way, there would always be another chance tomorrow.

I guess it takes “practice” for grown ups (including 18 year olds) to unlearn our ways and loosen up enough to really be creative.  I treasure the lessons learned that year, and am reminded of them this year in the Miles and Mom Painting Club.

This late night edition of 52 Fridays is dedicate to my dad, who from his sickbed today asked me “weren’t you supposed to post two 52 Fridays today”?  Yes, Dad.  Here it is!  I wish I could send you some chicken noodle soup along with it.

Sand River I by Lisa Grossman - Lawrence

Daisy Necklace by Julie Branstrom - Lawrence

Circles of Color Series 1 (old house paint lids) by Joelle Ford - Lawrence

Grocery Art Blocks by Suzanna Scott - Manhattan

Red Hot Cherry by Alan Chow - Prairie Village

Girl with Black Masquerade Mask by Katherine Labbe - Burrton

Navy Blue and White Pendant by Nancy Bjorge - Lawrence

From "The Earth Takes Us In It's Embrace" by Jane Voorhees - Kansas City

Bigger Poppies by Sharon M.W. Bass - Lawrence

Remember, click on the images to see MORE of each artists work!

I once lived next door to Iowa, in Nebraska.  We would travel to Council Bluffs to visit friends.  My memories of this place are the flat, flat, fields, the surprising cliffs rising out of them and the flat, wide, rivers running in them.  I think there’s bound to be a lot of creativity when there’s a lot of sky….

Travelers by Kindra Noel - Des Moines

Stone Rabbit Pitcher by Elisabeth Maurland - Decorah

Cold by Rachel Arnold- Elkader

Midcentury Cabinet by Dan Neubauer - Ames

Sound Booth (pencil drawing!) by Laassa Kabel - Des Moines

Hand bound book by Gena Ollendieck - Cresco

Shiny Things by Lori Biwir - Osage

Street Art by Brent Houzenga - Des Moines

Empress Necklace by Cindy (CTThings) - Ames

True Blue by Hilde De Bruyne - Des Moines

It’s been a while since I’ve shared fun facts about a state in 52 Fridays.  As I’m from Ohio, and it seems that people often confuse it with Iowa and Idaho, it seems appropriate to differentiate this fine state.

• Elk Horn is the home of the largest Danish community in the United States (yay!  I’m Danish!)
• The most crooked street in the world is in Burlington.  (According to Ripley’s Believe it or Not).
• Quaker Oats – the largest cereal company in the world – is located in Cedar Rapids.

Oh, friends, February has been challenging for us here at the Muller household.  It’s not been without fun and spark and joy, but I think someone has been sick on any given day since the month began.  So this is not a mommy blog, but frankly, all that I’ve been doing this month is being a mommy.  I’ve needed to do that, and wanted to as well.

I think we turned a corner this weekend, and I set about to blog again, to catch up on 52 Fridays, Iowa edition (which was a l m o s t complete!!), when I lost the whole thing.  Maybe in my previous sick haze, I forgot to save or something.  Argh!!

Anyhow, I wanted to touch base, although I have no art or making or musing to share.  I thought I’d just share a bit of the fun that’s been interspersed in our days this month.

Also, this Friday, I plan to share not one but two 52 Fridays editions – Iowa and Kansas.  A double dose!!  And can I just say, I’m so glad I memorized “The Fifty Nifty United States” as a child.  I never knew how often it would come in handy!

Miles was SO happy to lose his tooth! (His brother transcribed the note...)

Finally!

Baby of the family = our mascot!

Happy to be well!