Tattoo a Banana

In a recent introspective spell, I began contemplating the human experience.  Stop it, I know how pretentious that sounds.  I think I'd been musing over "Meet Joe Black," which means that I was probably mostly thinking about 35-year old Brad and his swoon-worthy highlights during Sacrament Meeting.  But then that got me going. I thought about how BP learned about how being human was eating peanut butter, sleeping, swimming, attending parties, family, loyalty, and most of all, love.  Ugh, that sounds so cheesy.  But that got me wondering what parts of my life are my favorites and what I'm doing that expressly makes me human.   For one, I love sensory experiences – EATING (arguably my #1 talent), sleeping, being touched, listening to music, watching a really moving film.  But then there are the less tangible but more deeply rewarding experiences that stem from my relationships with others -- recalling memories together, engaging in stimulating conversation for hours on end, finding that one person who will think your dream last night was just as funny as it absolutely was.  My relationships with other people are one of the things I treasure most, but my soul also truly delights in art -- when people make and do beautiful things. 

Which is why this is kind of the silly part, after what I just said right there.  

I've always wished I was an artist.  While I consider myself a musician, yes, and maybe even a budding "cake artist," I can't draw worth two cents of baloney.  Which is why I kind of love this book.   

Phil Hansen, the artist and author, created this book as a means to make art relatable to the everyday Joe Shmoe.  Or in my case, Katherine Bathroom.  Essentially, the world's self-proclaimed "non-artists."  He provides ideas for creating art from everyday household objects, not necessarily for the purpose of making beautiful, expensive, or one-of-a-kind pieces, but just to inspire creativity when it comes to the things we use daily.  As a baker, I truly connect with the idea of taking one thing and making it into something completely different. 

So this is what I've gotten from his book so far: 

•  We did a little mini M&M pointilism of "The Scream" -- you might have to step back and squint a little?

• We tattooed The David on a banana, naturally (no innuendos, please)
• Story: when we went to Florence to see the actual David, I was tryna get all up close and personal with a medieval manuscript, the way we all like to do.  I went to lean in with calculated interest, and accidentally smashed my face with a good deal of force into the too-clean display case.  I was stunned; it was funny.

 

• We made some presidential penny pancakes

• Aaaaaaand, our piece de resistance: the Mona Lisa out of cookie dough.  Ta-da!

Halfway through the project, I stopped and asked myself, "Um, hi.  What are you doing with your time? Is this a good use of it?" And then I decided that, in fact, it was.  A tasty use of my time. 

I kind of just hope though that Michelangelo and Da Vinci didn't see any of this.