Mistaya Ballerina

I took these lovely portraits of Mistaya wearing her theatre makeup for her dance performance.  I missed the actual performance night as I was out of the country but her Auntie M and sister Tabs and cousin Nem attended. Miranda told me Mist was an amazing dancer. I did see a video of her dances at least!

Christmas 2011 is over, Boxing Day too. The season is a stressful one: both healthy and unhealthy stresses. And here I am, left with the most nasty head cold which includes fever. If I stop dancing, I get sick. I kept rehearsing each day but not hard core (1h dance until I drop) workouts daily. When I am teaching without breaks I NEVER get sick because I think my body temp gets so high for an hour that it kills any viruses that may be lurking. The key to not getting a bug is too substitute my teaching classes for attending at least 3 killer classes every week I have off. It's hard because sometimes I am exhausted and need a break but I guess it is not possible. Breaks mean viruses take hold. Colds are not simple for me. I have asthma and thus I battle the threat of bronchitis and pneumonia every time I catch a cold.

Peter is finishing our hardwood staircase the next few days. My girls are keeping themselves amused with their new Christmas videos, games and toys. If I were well, we would be skating and hiking. January will be the start of this family's ski season. A low key season this year as my life is crazy this January!  No one can possibly imagine the relief I will feel to have my M.A. done. My thesis process has been something that I cannot properly expand on at this time.

So the real me, the true one, without the albatross on her back, will appear once again very soon. Watch out world, she is so ready to fly!
My dedication to my art will see me through. I recently read that artists are happiest when they live for their art. This is an easy statement for the famous artists throughout history to make. None of them were mothers! The few internationally successful North American women artists (painters) from the past 100 years were not mothers: Emily Carr, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keefe. This is because the art world is patriarchal. Though, I believe a new breed of internationally successful women artists will emerge this century: mothers. Of course, this means the patriarchal art world must undergo a revolution. Let the revolution begin!
I will start it this coming year 2012. To turn a patriarchal art world upside down and inside out will not be an easy task. But it does sound like fun :D
As for writing, I am happy to report the revolution is in full swing (my thesis is about this very topic!) and I will jump on board as both a publisher and writer in 2012.
I am grooming my wings now...