Can't stop. Won't stop.

When will the doll phase be over you wonder? I'm not sure. I have barely scratched the surface with what I can do with dolls- their dead expressions, pristine make-up, and weird mixture of hinted/blatant sexuality still intrigue me. Here are two new paintings, the last of 2010. (Why do I always like the paintings that take me 10 seconds to paint more than the ones that take months, days, hours?)

8x8 inches

3ft. x 4 ft.

Christmas Story Mayhem

Christmas 2010 was phenomenal.

Christmas Craft Girls

 I know it's not a competition, but after seeing Whitney and Sarah's blogs about Christmas crafts, I thought I'd share what I've been cooking up in my bedroom/ studio. I made these for an ornament exchange party with other artists, including many of my BYU professors. I felt immense pressure to make a piece of ART, something witty, aesthetic and quirky, but in the end I just got crafty. The exchange party took place yesterday and the best part about it was leaving with a box full of handmade ornaments from other artists.

thinking aloud

I play with dolls to escape the reality that I am growing up. I know- I am 28-years-old and should already be grown-up, but I still call my mom crying and fight with my sister like we are in grade school.

I'm learning about working full time, living on less, and being a role model for children. My job as a special-ed teacher aide challenges me: I teach math to third graders (finally am learning my times tables!), the alphabet song to a first grader, and the other day I found myself lecturing on forgiveness to my fifth graders after we watched a movie where a boy in an ice skating race pulled his opponent out of a frozen lake. I asked the kids what they would do if one of their enemies needed their help: "I would jump in the water with him, then push him down as I pulled myself out," "I would take his head and dunk him in and out of the water, over and over," "I would leave him there." You might have found yourself teaching forgiveness too if you were in my situation. For the most part, life is good. I'm glad I'm not 10 years old and that I don't have to ask permission to go to the bathroom.

Bolivia Video

Women working in Bolivia from emily fox on Vimeo.

Written up!

A nice fellow named Parker Smith interviewed me and wrote an article. Read it here!
I should say too that my mom and Erin were interviewed as well and did an excellent job!

Halloween DANCE

This year's theme: wigs.

On the Farm: Missouri

 
Erin and I travelled to Pierce City, Missouri last weekend to film and interview the family of Helen Andelin, author of Fascinating Womanhood. Along with interviewing her son, Brian, we also interviewed the town mortician, Helen's trainer at the YMCA, as well as her banker. Here we are in her house (she passed away last year), interviewing her son Brian.

 An excellent meal of farm raised beef and rice prepared by our excellent host, Brian.

 Helen's little cottage, where we stayed.

  In town.

 Heading home: to jobs, the city, and mountains. It was sad to say goodbye to the beautiful autumn leaves, warm weather, acres of green, and the wonderful Andelin families dotted all over the farm.

Nature/ Nurture exhibit at BYU, etc.

I have a few pieces on exhibit right now as part of the BYU Visual Arts Faith in Works Committee exhibit, Nature and Nurture: Narratives of the Family. As part of the exhibit opening the I participated in a panel discussion in for all the 100 or so visual arts students. I was wedged in between Lee Udall Bennion and Justin Hackworth, with Brian Kershisnik, Chris Thornock, Madison Smith, Lisa Jackson, and Janis Wunderlich at the panel table. It was a historic moment for me, as I was chewing the fat with such successful and amazing LDS artists. It was really fun to be involved in the exhibit and it makes me want to crank some more art out.  

 Cousin Seth came to show his support and to "represent" the fam.

 HFAC

 The after party with E. and R. and Mitchell at Sammy's. I tried a cupcake shake, it was pretty good, but I think I'd rather just eat the cupcake by itself.

This last picture shows an exciting moment as FINALLY I was able to move to an apartment. I transported all my boxes out of storage, unpacked all my things, and made a huge mess. It was like seeing my long lost friends:  pottery from my talented ceramist friends, vintage books, a box labeled "costumes," my kitchen knives, flowery vinyl swim caps, my polka dot cotton sheets. It has been a long summer for me, feeling like a transient. Other people would probably not think it was a big deal to share a bed with your sister in Idaho, sleep in a stuffy cement house in Bolivia, or sleep on a brown couch in Utah that is beginning to sag in the middle with the contours of your bum, but after a while, it really started to wear on me. Hooray for new beginnings!    

Fascinating Womanhood, the documentary

Tonight Erin and I interviewed our neighbor Karen, about the book Fascinating Womanhood, which she read in the 70's. Karen is a wonderful, kind, and an extremely faith filled woman. She prepared us a magnificent dinner, allowed us to interview her, and then to top it all off, she even went swimming with us afterwards. She sent us home with a plate of freshly baked pumpkin muffins, words of encouragement, and a camera reel of excellent interview footage.

I love having a project to work on. Projects fuel me. I realize why I am such a lame grouch lately: I haven't been able to do projects. I think things are about to change for the better!

WHAT'S UP?!!!

Saltair

I rode out to Saltair today. Not being a local, I'd never heard of this place before. It opened up in 1893 funded jointly by the church and the Salt Lake and Los Angeles Railroad companies: "Saltair was a family place, intended to provide a safe and wholesome atmosphere with the open supervision of Church leaders. While some of the other resorts in the area were seen as "spiritually bleak," a young courting Mormon couple could visit Saltair without worrying about gossip. Train schedules from Saltair to stations near home were well known, and so long as the boy got the girl home at a reasonable time after the train arrived, parents weren't worried – in part because, from the moment of arriving at the station before the outing until they left the station coming home, they were usually never out of sight of trusted members of the community. More than once, a couple on the way home found themselves in the same car as their parents, who themselves had been dancing at Saltair." (wikipedia)

An interesting bit of history I thought. The building burnt down in 1925 and now there is another version that that is used as a concert venue. The new building was kind of tacky looking and I didn't feel like photographing it, so I didn't. But here is the lake, an old railroad car, and a nice glimpse of me in spandex.   

EXTRA SPECIAL

September 13th is a special day for two reasons:
1. Erin Fox was born 32 years ago on this day, see pictures below for the colorful party thrown in her honor.

it was a rainbow themed party, erin was blue

nikki was pink

i was yellow

rainbow jello shots

bryn was green.  

rainbow cupcakes

2. Henry John Schuller came into the world! Congrats to Sarah and Travis! I'm an aunt again!

wednesday

A fourth grader got kicked in the balls today, and then stomped on. I found him laying face down in the grass, tears streaming down his face, other playground mates huddled around him. The culprit was an older girl who had ran up to him, deliberately placed the kicks, and then ran away. Don't worry, we got her.

Just doing my job.

the weeeeeks end

this picture is for Lauren, here are two great things: Galen, and a kid's meal from the BYU Creamery, check out the "world famous" fry sauce, so delicious!!! 

 swimming at deer creek reservoir

sunday dinner at the washington'sspecial guests Lewis and Seth watch Noah perform

give us a smile, Noah!

not dying

Hello all,
At least I am not dying. Each time I go to update my blog, I think "blah." Were I to write something in that state it would be called "blahgging." I am living in Salt Lake still. I work at an elementary school as a teacher aide and I am worn out at the end of each day, that is my update.

Other updates, I am getting older. The sun is setting earlier and earlier. It is still blazing hot in Utah.

Good news: Erin and her roommates are very generous and let me stay at their apartment. The teachers and students I work with are very kind. The public library here is rad. My family is great. God is good.  

Napoleon's Horse

I've been dabbling with oils. This little pony appeared today, it's 11x14. For 50 bucks I'll send him your way! :)

Sunday night

wish you were here!

Visiting old haunts

I went to Muse Music in Provo this weekend. I watched my "guitar teacher" Josh (he is tuning his guitar, kneeling) perform with his band, "Until Further Notice." I think I'm supposed to make a pun about the band's name at this point, but it's too late at night to think that hard. The music was really loud and what I call "guy" music: killer guitar parts, lots of "ooohhhs" and harmonized choruses. Punchy drums. They played very well together and had a lot of energy. Muse Music has a special hold on me, Schmaltzy and Stars of Leo played there multiple times...good memories.