So… some things have happened since we last met.  They could potentially be categorised into the following areas: family, friends, work, derby.  Those four words fairly well sum up the last six months of my life.  They encompass everything that I currently am, and I am grateful for every one of them, in their own weird and mysterious ways.

Each of these things – these four quarters of my ‘life pie’, if that is a better visualisation – have been ridiculously awesome this year, all things considered.  I have found a second home in my new job – my colleagues are amazingly lovely, my kids are hilarious and, well, I get to banter on about art all day so, really, how can I complain?!  I have acquired a second family with all my derby sisters and brothers at Adelaide Roller Derby – a family that I feel so honoured to be a part of, and which has helped me to continue to develop as a whole person, both mentally and physically.  And my real family and friends – well, they continue to be my pillars of strength, even when I’m working, training, and just generally absent.  They remind me of who I am each day, and why I do all the random things that I do.  They have faith in me when I lose faith in myself, and they are my most favourite cheer squad.

I’d go into detail, but sometimes pictures speak louder than words.  So here are some random things that have happened since we last met:

I’ll try to make sure another year doesn’t slip by before I get back onto the blogging band-wagon.  Until then, thanks for continuing to stand by (me).

x

Oh me, oh my!  Baby Jesus is a robot alien from the future.  Joseph is Jesus.  And Mary is non-corporeal.

The Werd was God.

Merry Christmas.

x

The birds, on the other hand, are out in force – a troupe of feathers and beaks darting between the Jacaranda and the Gum.  The cats stare up listlessly at the boughs (the birds impervious to their empty stomachs), waiting out the long hot hours in the dappled shade.  Kira has made a nest under the climbing rose – cool with shade and the trickle of water from the rusting tank – and we spend the evenings picking thorns and grass from her dusty fur.

At night we open up the doors to let the mosquitos and the cool air in.  The Willy Wag Tail calls until all hours of the night, his agile cooing breaking through the shrill of crickets.  Soon, even those sounds will stop as the heat takes over.  But it will be a while before that sets in.  So we make the most of this time of year, with breakfasts outside and nights at the beach.

So that’s a day in the Adelaide summer.  If you need me, I’ll be out back.

With love.

x

(on a side note – try a google image search for ‘finger cancer’…)

Anyway, there have been some good things to have come out of the last couple of months.  I had my final teaching prac. in a small school about 20 minutes walk from my house (it was awesome, by the way).  I finally finished my Grad. Dip. Ed., which means no more study ever.  We celebrated my niece’s 2nd birthday last weekend, which was awesome because she is the cutest little chick I’ve ever met, and any time with my family is simply golden.

What else?  Well, on Monday I got a phone call first thing in the morning to say I’d won an art teaching contract at a school I had applied for a few weeks earlier.  This led to dancing stupidly around the loungeroom and feet-tapping up and down the hallway.  I really held out no hope for getting any art teaching work in the near future and had resigned myself to picking up relief work whenever I could (a challenge in itself).  So now I get to start thinking about some awesome art projects I can subject all the kids to… and sneakily get to do myself.

I have been up to some other stuff as well.  This is the point at which I must make a confession.  I have been keeping a secret from everyone for a couple of months.  People have begun to notice me going out at nights regularly.  There have been times when I’ve turned down invites, with no real excuse.  Sometimes I’ve skulked in late at night with unexplainable bruises.  I know that it looks bad, I do.  But the truth is…

I’ve been training.  It started at a derby game, when I had a sudden flashback to my childhood – a childhood of skate dancing at St. Vinnies rec. centre and going sequin shopping with mum to make lycra dresses and matching skate boot covers… *sigh*.  That is, until it became too uncool to skate on quads… and when I also discovered that, for whatever reason, I just couldn’t do rollerblades.  And that’s when the skating dream ended.

But I’ve been watching those derby girls: the atmosphere, the community, the bumps, the bruises and the screams of the crowd.  And I thought, ‘geez, that’s my kind of place!’  Fast forward a couple of months, some hard training (in secret, of course) and a lot of energy and enthusiasm later, I’ve somehow managed to squeeze myself into the Adelaide Roller Derby League!  It has been a tough slog – we have so many amazing skaters in Adelaide!  Who knew?!  So from the 115 (approx.) girls that lined up on the first night of Raw Meat, there will be 16 (I think) going through to join the four existing teams in the league.  I never told anyone I was trying out because I wholeheartedly believed I wouldn’t get through.  I still honestly can’t believe that I made it.  The skill level amongst all of the skaters was just incredible and I’m honoured to have met so many awesome people.  So I’m glad that I’ll soon be part of a community that is just so amazingly supportive, fun and friendly.

Who knows, come along to a bout and you might be able to see me beat the crap out of someone one day.

Take care.

xox

Photographs coming soon!

xox

Showcasing the work of:

Jeremyville (USA), Jeremy Fish (USA), Gavin Strange (UK), Rinpa Eshidan (JPN), Mattias Vigliano (ARG), Ian Houghton (CAN), Artifact (SWITZ), Daisuke Yamamoto, Ghostpatrol (MELB), Kitty Horton (BRIS), Simon Degroot (BRIS), Ryan Preece (BRIS), Adrian Petiet (ADL), Lisa King (ADL), Gary Seaman (ADL), Nickas (ADL), John Engelhardt (ADL), Joshua Smith (ADL), Shane Devries (ADL), Matt Stucket (ADL), Jake Bresanello (ADL), Kel Mocilnik (ADL), Opts / Gower (ADL), Sam Evans (ADL), James Dean (ADL), Store (ADL), Egija Mitenberga (ADL), Nish Cash (ADL), Meg Lloyd, Mong (ADL), Chris Edser (ADL), Sam Barrat (ADL), Joes VDK (ADL) and Lauren Tomczak (ADL).
]]> http://starandbluebird.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/pipe-up-2010/feed/ 1 LAUREN TOMCZAK pipe_up_47 pipe_up_01 pipe_up_02 pipe_up_03 pipe_up_04 pipe_up_05 pipe_up_06 pipe_up_07 pipe_up_08 pipe_up_09 pipe_up_10 pipe_up_11 pipe_up_12 pipe_up_13 pipe_up_14 pipe_up_15 pipe_up_16 pipe_up_17 pipe_up_18 pipe_up_19 pipe_up_20 pipe_up_21 pipe_up_22 pipe_up_23 pipe_up_24 pipe_up_25 pipe_up_26 pipe_up_27 pipe_up_28 pipe_up_29 pipe_up_30 pipe_up_31 pipe_up_32 pipe_up_33 pipe_up_34 pipe_up_35 pipe_up_36 pipe_up_37 pipe_up_38 pipe_up_39 pipe_up_42 pipe_up_43 pipe_up_44 pipe_up_45 pipe_up_46 http://starandbluebird.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/a-little-ink-inspiration/ http://starandbluebird.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/a-little-ink-inspiration/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:29:10 +0000 Lauren Tomczak http://starandbluebird.wordpress.com/?p=372 ]]> While I’m counting down the days until I get my beautiful new shoulder cap / arm tattoo by the amazing Emma Mere from SRT Studios, I thought I’d share some ink inspiration.

Shawn Barber

Shawn Barber, portrait of the artist Margaret Cho

Captain Elvy, 1943

Sailor Larry, tattooed by Bert Grimm

Bert Grimm at work in St. Louis

Tattooed lady

Pam, by Les Skuse

Al Schiefley & Les Skuse, 1956

Artoria Gibbons, c.1920

Who said tattooed ladies couldn’t be beautiful?!

Still not sure how loose or refined to make it… hmmmm…. decisions.

Poseidon's Medusa

Cutting patterns...

Unfortunately, a certain someone decided to get involved and suddenly sewing became a much more difficult pursuit…

Pattern Cat!

The next night, I decided to work on an illustration for an upcoming exhibition  (info here).  However, I’ve come to realise that paper, too, is a cat’s best friend.

paper cat.

This evening I decided to have another crack at the whole cleaning business.  But once again…

All wrapped up.

But with a face as innocent as this, can you blame her?!

Darling.

What a princess.

x