Of winter’s lifeless world each tree
Now seems a perfect part;
Yet each one holds summer’s secret
Deep down within its heart.
— Charles G. Stater
Of winter’s lifeless world each tree
Now seems a perfect part;
Yet each one holds summer’s secret
Deep down within its heart.
— Charles G. Stater
This week I tackled my son’s closet, which kind of spilled over into the dresser and the rest of the room. And, I learned that deep cleaning can be therapeutic. I’ve really been struggling lately with the fact that my little one is leaving the baby stage of life. He’s almost three and a half years old, so it’s not like this should come as some big surprise, but still…it hurts. What started out as a simple matter of cleaning out Zane’s closet turned into a meditation on the boy he is becoming. And, even though it was difficult to take some things out of his room (especially that little stack of onesies; he’ll never wear a onesie again), when I stood back and looked at what was left I could really see him in a way I hadn’t seen him before. I could see the boy that he is right now. He’s not the baby in the picture on the wall; he can’t be. He’s a little boy who loves trucks, and books, and birds, and I absolutely adore the person he is now (even if I do miss that little baby sometimes). It amazes me that I had to remove the physical links to an earlier stage of Zane’s life before I could gain perspective on the arrow of time (to borrow a phrase from my smart husband). It’s a work in progress.
Here’s a list of the things I removed. I still need to go through some of this stuff and re-home or bin it, but that is perhaps a task for next week:
I also moved some of his smaller trucks from his shelf into his closet, using the tub that used to hold all of those stuffed animals. That freed up a lot of space for more of his books, and now his new trucks can occupy the place of honor for awhile.
Today I’d like to share with you the work of another of my favorite artists, the children’s book illustrator Gerda Muller. Born in the Netherlands in 1926, Gerda Muller has enjoyed a long and successful career, having illustrated more than 120 books for children in her lifetime, many of which have been translated into multiple languages. Floris Books, which has published several of Gerda’s books in English, kindly gave me permission to share some of her illustrations here on my blog. With so many wonderful books to choose from it was difficult for me to narrow down which images I wanted to share, and what aspect of her work on which I wanted to focus. In the end I decided to feature her series of picture books about the seasons because we use them all year long as part of our nature table display.
Illustration from Spring by Gerda Muller
Illustrations from Spring, left, and Summer, right, by Gerda Muller
I first encountered Gerda Muller’s work whilst enrolled in an Early Childhood teacher training course that was designed with the work of Rudolph Steiner at its core. I was particularly drawn to Gerda’s seasonal treasury of wordless, beautifully illustrated board books, entitled Spring, Summer, Autumn, & Winter. I knew we needed them in our home library, and so I bought all four at once. What I love most about these books, and Gerda’s work in general, is that each time I read them I notice something new, even after years of looking at them with my children. The images I’ve chosen to share here mostly feature outdoor scenes, but there are lovely images of home life in each book, too.
Illustration from Summer by Gerda Muller
Illustration from Autumn by Gerda Muller
I’m particularly enamored with Gerda’s images of children at play in the natural world, which is why we use these books as part of the subtle seasonal meditation that the whole family participates in through our nature table, and various bits of handmade decor that the children and I create as the year turns. I also love the glimpse that one gets into another way of life from Gerda’s books; her illustrations feel both foreign and familiar at once and give one a sense of nostalgia that lingers. The lives of her subjects seem slower, more deliberate, and more joyful than do those of some of us in the modern world, as they happily progress through the seasons caressing baby animals, splashing in the sea, gatherin acorns, and catching snowflakes on their tongues. The simplicity of these illustrated lives inspires me to seek the same for myself and my family. We also own, and I cannot recommend enough, Gerda’s book How Does My Garden Grow?, which makes a beautiful companion to summer gardening adventures with children.
In Gerda’s own words:
I love my profession and have spent my whole life drawing for children. When I work alone in my studio, I feel the presence of a child who looks over my shoulder and often guides me. It is for this child that I work, not for parents or publishers.
Illustrations from Autumn, left, and Winter, right, by Gerda Muller
Illustration from Winter by Gerda Muller
I hope Gerda will not mind that I, a parent, enjoy her books just as much as any child, and that I find myself looking at them even when my own children are not around! Her work does transport the viewer to the world of childhood but, if you look carefully, you will see adults busy working and playing in her illustrations, too. You can read more about Gerda Muller’s life and work on her author page, as well as purchase all of the books I mentioned and several others at Floris Books.
Something I noticed about halfway through my 52 project last year is that, although I take a lot of photos, only a tiny fraction of them end up on my blog. While that is probably a good thing, generally, I do think there are some interesting shots that don’t make the cut. Taking nothing but portraits leaves out a lot of the everyday details of our lives; things I will want to remember someday. Sometimes the sunlight on the kitchen wall is just really beautiful. So, I thought maybe it would be nice to post some of the extra photos I take each week (knowing that I’ll probably miss some weeks, and that’s okay). These are the ones I liked this week.
The winter comes: the frozen rut
Is bound with silver bars;
the white drift heaps against the hut;
and night is pierced with stars.
— Coventry Patmore
“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”
Lillia: This week you have been working hard on self-improvement. Monday was your first day back at school after the holidays. You got up early, came out to the kitchen and said, “I’m going for a walk to help me feel more alert.” When you came back you informed me that you were not going to use the computer before school because it was too distracting. You’ve been getting yourself ready in the morning without any nagging, and you’ve also been working on your homework diligently every night without my even mentioning it. It seems that the New Year really inspired you to develop some new habits. I am very impressed with your efforts!
Zane: This week we are working on potty training. Oh, the dreaded potty training. The truth is you have been “ready” for quite awhile, but I was not. I was not ready to let go of one of the last things that made you a baby…well, we both know you’re not a baby anymore. You’re a fully-fledged walking, talking person with ideas and opinions of your own. Now is the time, whether I am ready (emotionally) or not. So far you’ve been doing great — there’s no turning back!