2018: A drawing a day for sanity - First 10

It's been a while.. I've been playing on and off  here and this year, specifically, but also as a kind of lead on from last year, I've trying to decide to draw and write more and make it my spiritual and daily practice. Part of connecting, part of walking with spirit, part of curiosity and synchronicity and listening, and of course, part of speaking and using my voice

So I am doing a drawing a day, using a small little book, a quater of the size of A4. But I am thinking I want to collage the drawings so I might take them out, and see what happens, but I will keep trying to draw in the book so that its a ritual.. there are some additions along the way from Gabriel ! and I am also using some of his marks to make pictures.
At the moment I dont have a specific time that I designate to these drawings. Morning pages I try to make very morning but drawing, it kind of fits in when it fits.

So we started on Jaunary 2 and so here are the first 10 drawings as well as some from Gabriel. I have started writing a few words about them too so I have included those underneath as its not always easy to read.

 

Front Cover: 

This is to remind me to be brave 

and no half measures when it comes to 

important things!

Drawing 1 [2 Jan]. This is about
gratitude and pebbles. Pebbles
for me are grounding and playful

              

Drawing 3. What is she looking at?              Drawing 4: caves, fire, mountains

[and holding?]                                  warmth, spark, 

Drawing 5: This is about ideas for dolls maybe and about birds, my spirit animals which I am busy exloring at the moment

Drawing 6:This is Mighty Girl.
I am making her into a doll now. 

She is to remind me 

to have courage, to be strong, 

and also, to laugh a bit!

Drawing 7: The path, and out of the ashes. This is about trying to find my way, and its about taking what I need with me, but leaving behind what I dont. 

Drawing 8: For this drawing, 

i used some marks Gabriel had made. 

I just wanted to make something light and whimsical.
Maybe that's how these colours of Africa and Sicily
appeared. These are arhchetypal for me, in a way.
Having grown up in Africa which is hot and bright,
and spending many years in the UK, I have often drawn on
the memory of these colours. Now, I find them returning to
me in Sicily where I now live. Something of me, here!

This is Gabriel's drawing of the sea, and the sand

Add caption

Drawing 9. On this day I was quite sad. 

This is called The Crying Head.

There are fish as tears. I do find the blue
to be calming and peaceful

Drawing 10. This is also made from marks by Gabriel.

The lightly treading entangled tree giant. 

and the sunlight dances on the branches

Going to the park and some roundabout things during and around Babacino's birthday week.

These are pictures from the last week or so. Babacino turned 1 last Saturday the 28th of June! He is learning how to walk at the moment and he likes to climb onto things and into things a lot. hes started Nursery too! he goes on a Monday and a Wednesday, he loves it (once his mummy or Papi has gone and he's finished being a bit upset) His key worker is Rachel, and she's lovely. His school is called Noahs Ark Community Nursery and is right next to Columbia Road Flower Market. I always loved that little school, and now Babacino is there!!

 Tata and Raul have been staying with us, they arrived the day before Babacinos birthday. Raul has also been visiting his sister a lot, and their mom, who is visiting from Mauricious for her 60th birthday. Babacino loves Raul. So Maur, Raul, Tata and Babacino have been going on lots of nice jaunts and visiting nice parks and coffee shops. I've had to be at work but hey ho. Today is Friday! Babacino is sooooo cute, I love the bones off him, and Mauri too of course.

I havent been blogging much, or doing much of anything except I am running. When I say not doing anything, I am doing a LOT, spending time with Babacino and Mauri. But what I mean is, when I get home from work, I do Babacino stuff, then its supper, then its dishes and cleaning time, and by then there might be a little time for some coffee, if its not too late, otherwise its straight to bed ready for work the next day.  (Though on that note, i must mention that Mauri does EVERY night make the most lovely delicious supper for us, made with a LOT of love and caring ness, so I am not at all complaining, I am just explaining how life changes, and priorities must inevitably change too.but I love it the way it is and wouldn't want it any other way.)

 But I do have a draft blog that I've been writing for about 2 weeks (and longer in my head) which is a letter to Babacino that I wanted to co-incide with his first birthday. Its on the other blog 'livingindrawings' but in draft. Hopefully today or this weekend I can finish it!

In the meantime, i got to work super early and I thought I'd quickly post some photo's before another month or 6 go by! here they are! ... tada.... from the Crispi Family!!

Babacino just when he started being able to pull  himself up to standing, this is our balcony in Shadwell and he is geting his pijamas all dirty! cheeky monkey

This is Babacino at his school, on a Saturday when they have a play group which parents can go to and any families and kids, not just from the school. Its for under 5s. Babacino LOVED it and got all soaking wet playing in the water. Luckily there were spare clothes downstairs which are in his nursery bag

This is at the exhibition we went to see at the Estorik gallery in Islington, we were the only people in this gallery room at the time, perfect crawling space for Babi, but he did get VERY dirty knees!

This is last weekend going for a little familywal

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Babacini is still fascinated with mirrors and I am still not quite sure if he knows its him in the mirror or if he thinks its another baby!

This is last weekend 'on the beach' which is actually part of the Thames around Wapping area

Playing with Mummy in one of the Wapping parks

During the day when Mummy is at work!

Babacinos birthday balloons, and in his Springbok t-shirt from Kaelin and Kyle!

Babacinos favourite toy hiding place these days!

Look what I made at the park when we went running!!

here it is again, with Mauri in the background doing his excercises to make him big and strong!

Me and my Babi!!

aur

more playing at the park

Ciao Mauri!! Shadwell

sliding!!

Tata at Limehouse

the fascinating spoon!

Discorso di re!

ciao Papino!!

A little bit of what I liked about 'An Italian Education' by Tim Parks

I recently read a little book about an Englishman in Italy, and his family .. and this is what I wrote about it:

link to 'framenti e pensieri sparsi'

A Visit to Altavilla

This is from our last little visit to Alta Villa, where we stayed the night, did drawing, dancing, running, playing, had supper, watched the moon, and Mauri worked in the fields!

Here are the pictures with some little stories:

This is one view from the house, showing the mountains and the sea.. beautiful!

Babacino decided to have a rare little sleep in the day, perhaps the fresh air of the countryside is sleep inducing! and so we decided to do some little drawings, using the chair made of recycled things, by Mauri. And of course we have our personal body guard, Frida!

and here are the 3 little drawings I did just quickly while Babacino was sleeping. My hands are a bit rusty, but at least we have started again! One day Babacino will have LOTS of crayons, and things for his hands to  play and make things with and because he will be in a sunny beautiful colorful country, then I hope he might like to make very colorful bright things. That's my theory, coming from Africa and England.

This is the first one I did... it doesn't look like him as such, but when he is sleeping his eyes look very big, so here you can see the big sleeping eyes of Babacino!

and here is a picture of the mountains and the sea at sunset with Babacino's hands, sort of, in a bit of a rush before he wakes up.

This one I actually did inside a bit later when he had ANOTHER short little sleep. he looks so peaceful and cute and small when he sleeps. Sometimes he wriggles and both is legs go up into the sky while he sleeps! 

While we were doing operation DRAW-SLEEP, Mauri was working in the fields, here you can see him building a wall, and burning things on his fire.

during the day we went to visit Mauri and have some tea in the fields, and here is Babacino saying hello to Papi!

Now it is night time, and Mauri is returning home from the fields. The fire will just burn and by the morning it will be little wisps of smoke. Working in the fields is very hard work and so Mauri will be VERY hungry, just like Babacino after 3 or 4 hours of growing! 

And now it is supper time, and the Chef of Tarling Street has made some delicious yummy pasta, and we also had some 'sfincione' I think, which is one of the most divine things you can eat in Sicily. One day soon I will write a blog about the culinary delights of Sicily, where you can find the best best food in the world!!

After supper it is lovely to walk out into the moon light and to be able to stand with your feet on the land. Babacino loves being in the moonlight and luckily the evenings are not yet cold so Babacino can come outside.

And here he is with Papi!

Of course, there are always lots of hugs and kisses for Babacino, even under the moonlight!

Babacino also likes to think about his day and reflect, he looks like quite a grown up boy here

And the next day it is time for more sunshine and playing. Here is Babacino all ready to rock and roll!

And finally, whilst I was out running in the morning, Babacino and Mauri were playing. Playing, Dancing, Singing, and even working in the fields. This is a picture of dancing and singing!

then later it was home time.... soon we'll be writing another story of a day in the life of Babacino, Mauri and Me!!  Grazie Raggazzie!