Artistic Old World Bread Making

 I thought it was a good day to make bread. I have a family tradition of  making bread on Saturdays, or when ever it feels like a good bread making day. I then got thinking about the significance of this tradition and why women do it. This lead me to finding a wonderful film made by Mariette Sluyter who taught others to make bread, and Bread is the name of her NFB Film that she documented, telling the stories of six women, all who baked bread.

There is something so grounding, and very special about the process of making bread. Anyone who makes their own bread knows this to be true. For most women baking bread it is an ancient practice, and has a cultural significance that provided the sustenance of life, and it connects us to one another because it is prevalent in all cultures. The  word  "companion" comes from the Latin word "with bread'.

My fondest memories are of the sweet and comforting aroma of my grandmother's fresh bread, slathering it with butter, while it was still warm from the oven. I am so glad my mother passed this tradition down to me, and when I make bread I feel this connection to my mother, and with all the grandmothers, past, present, and future.


“Bread reflects who we are as a species; the basic ingredients are the same but the outcomes are different. It is the same with humans: we share the basic building blocks but it is cultural practice that changes the outcomes. It is through breaking bread together, figuratively or literally, in a spirit of open, curious learning that we can transcend what divides us.”
                                                        
                                                                          - Mariette Sluyter

The video below is of a group of joyful women laughing, talking, and participating in bread making, and you will see how creative this bread making can be.
I have no idea what nationality these women are or the language they're speaking, but it is a beautiful thing to see how they interact laughing, enjoying themselves, and are bonded with one another.
 I tried out a few of these artistic techniques with my bread making today, making three regular loaves, and a few other small braided buns.

The Grandmothers

Spider Woman Art by Susan Sedon Boulet

There are a group of beautiful recovering women that I met twenty years ago in New Brunswick when I first got sober. They gather yearly and they are gathering again this month where they will celebrate one another and share in their talking circles. I have had the privilege in the past to attend a few times.

One year I'll never forget, there was a First Nations woman who late into the starlight night sky sang for us, among the trees, a hymn to the grandmothers in her native language I never forgot it because it was so powerful. I did a painting of her singing the hymn and sent it to her.

I was sent this video today and have to share it. I didn't get a chance to watch it until now after a long day and it was just what I needed.

Creativity - Be Patient...Just Because...

As a little girl I was taught by my mother how to crochet, as was she was taught by her mother and my great, great, grand mothers. I wanted to learn, and fortunately she was able to teach me, patiently. I'm sure it was a pain staking process for her at times trying to convey the intricate workings of a crochet needle, how to hold it, along with the numerous single, double and triple crochet stitches I struggled to make.

 When I was a student art teacher, part of my practicum was to teach art of course. I can attest to knowing how patience is a much needed virtue to possess when teaching and learning how to crochet. It will certainly let you know in a hurry how much patience you have or lack. I found this out when on one such ocassion I had the lovely opportunity to teach little girls how to crochet at Sacred Heart Convent, which was then a private girls school, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The girls and I both learned important lessons about patience together.

I haven't been painting the past few weeks and I have been a little critical of myself for that which I needn't be. Just because I'm not painting right now does not mean I am not being creative.

I often crochet when I stop painting. I find it a meditative activity, and it gives me this generational connection with my mother and grandmothers on both sides of my family, when I think about why I love to crochet. The threads ground me to the cycle of life, and I'm bonded to my family tradition of being creative, in whatever form that takes. Writing, sewing, drawing, painting, singing, dancing, playing an instrument, cooking, baking, gardening or just paying attention to life in a creative and open mindfulness gives a person the opportunity to experience creativity.

This is what I love about being an artist, because it really is an attitude toward life, and not always, simply or even necessarily  an aptitude or talent.
So next time you think you aren't creative just because you can't draw, paint, and all the other misconceptions people have about art and creativity, I suggest to you  that it is a way of life, an approach to life, accessable to everyone, any where, and at any time, if you pay close attention, be patient with yourself, keep an open mind and an open heart.

I have been working on this crocheted project over the past month. I made this cotton top without a pattern, just because I wanted to, and I can't help being creative, and it's what I wanted to do...just because. Now I have a practical wearable art piece!

There is a vast array of youtube videos online that I'm sure can help to teach you how to crochet, but I suggest you find a patient individual to show you how to crochet you might not learn how to do it, but I guarantee you learn about patience, and you can pass it on to another. I am very fond of looking at the Vogue youtube crochet clips because of the beautiful designed creations and here's one of my favourites of a spectacular sequined shoulder wrap. Oh I love this!