Vicki the Viking: Ross

Today is a beautiful warm sunny day, the long johns have gone from my everyday attire and most days I do not need a hat or scarf and have now traded down to a light weight jacket which is more of a windbreaker. Over the last week or so I have been fighting flu symptons and still battling headache issues which is why I have been a little quite on the blog front.

Firstly big birthday wishes to Ross, number 3 child who celebrates his 26th birthday today. This is the last birthday he has before embarking on a new role as a father...not long to go now, only about 4 weeks.

Mmm...I need to take some better photos of him.

Whilst I have been recuperating there has been plenty of time for knitting, my skills are slowly improving and I have completed a little cardigan and hat for Henry and have also started a baby blanket, as you can see I am not much into traditional colours and somehow always tend to veer towards the more subdued earthy tones.

I intend to knit a pair of britches (now that is an old fashioned word) to go with the cardigan and hat, perhaps in the chocolate brown used in some of the design. I have also started this baby blanket in similar colours it is a half log cabin where you flip and rotate your work picking up a new lot of stitches as you go. The name of the blanket sold me, an Ombre Blanket for the new little man who will soon be part of my life.

On a previous post I mentioned that I was doing a hand printing workshop at the local community centre, whilst that evening was quite poorly attended, those that did see what I was doing were very interested and as with most things I have found doors open from one event to another in life. I have since been asked by Hús Fritímans to participate in their summer program for children to provide 4 day workshops per week over the 8 week summer holidays to two groups of children 5-8 years and 9-12 years each day. Maximum number of participants for each workshop will be 10 but I am provided with a helper for the duration, the actual number of weeks I do will be determined by the number of participants that sign up.

So yesterday I wracked my brain for a project that could be spread over 4 sessions and include a variety of things so they would not get too bored but still go home with something they had created and was personal to them at the end of the workshop. What I came up with was a book which I spent yesterday creating a protoype. The front and back covers are prints from the handprinting demonstration I did. The children will print their own covers for the book.

Front cover

Back cover

This book has a Japanese stab binding and I will probably simplify this and the content for the younger children and everything will be pre cut. I will make a couple more versions to work out the best style and type of printing for each age group. I thought everyone could start off in the first session creating rubbings from things within the immediate environment and I would bring a box of objects to get them started. Rubbings are a very basic form of printmaking....taking an impression from one surface and transferring to another. The next session would be spent creating the prints via monoprinting for the front and back cover of the book and the final two sessions spent constructing and putting together the actual book. So I took a stroll around the house looking for anything that I could take a graphite rubbing of, here are a few examples.

Graphite pencil rubbing of a metal teapot stand.

Graphite pencil rubbing of a fancy brass stopper lid.

Graphite pencil rubbing of a fancy cut glass bottle.

Graphite pencil rubbings of a small selection of fossils I have.

Graphite pencil rubbings of old Aussie coins

At the moment I have bookbinding on the brain as I am in the process of restoring an old early 20th century book press which I bought with me from Australia and I welcome any opportunity to explore the book making process further.

Part of my long term plan once I have the studio set up is too offer more art workshops to the community.

Well it is my number 3 baby's birthday...so this is a big cheerio to Ross who turns 25 today! Ross will be celebrating in London with his lovely wife Olga and I believe a dear friend Anja will also be visiting from Germany...your family here in Australia send lots of hugs and kisses.

Ross came into the world in a hurry and a bit too early but he is a fighter and always comes up trumps.

Ross has always been a giver not a taker from the moment he was born and has grown into a warm, hardworking, sensitive young man....just the type mothers are proud of!

I am going to embarrass him a little more now and post a few photos as I know his in-laws Unnur and Thor and new family in Iceland have not seen any of these....sorry Ross!

Ross was and still is a happy cute being, who has always loved good food, especially his Nonna's spaghetti!

Puberty set in and so did the curls.

Ross has always loved to draw, illustrating many a tale....once again Ross apologies up front for further embarrassment!

Ross was a bikie

he lived in Bristol Road

every time he road his bike

he would squash a little toad

Mr DiBlasio was a hairdresser

who often raised his comb

he's mad young Ross on a bike

I wish he would go home

Mrs Gear was a mechanic

who often raised her bolt

when Ross road passed

She'd throw a bag of salt

Mrs Beer who owned the bar

who often raised her jar

when Ross rode his bike

she wished he had a car

One day the town got together

and said "that Ross has got to go"

Ross got so angry

he felt like squishing a toe

Ross went home and packed his bags

he was leaving the town

Ross got on his bike

and left without a sound

Help! I am stuck down the drain.

(I just love the drawing)

When he was 8 his favourite things were drawing, running, eating and hugging...pretty much the same today, except running is probably replaced with the lovely Olga! When he was 11 his nickname was The Lizard King, favourite band of course was the Doors and he wanted to be a rock star, astronaut or animal rights activist.