March 16th, 2022

Happy Birthday Emma!

Today we had the pleasure of celebrating Emma’s 3rd birthday! As always, in anticipation of this event, we put together a birthday committee to plan and create a gift in her honor. This time the birthday committee featured Ford, Mimi, Win, Ragnar and Louisa with a couple additions form Rawls who joined us in the studio after watching the birthday committee work for some time.

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Thursday, March 10

Today was the first day of our birthday committee. In our birthday interview, Emma told us that her favorite colors were red and blue so we wanted to create a gift that reflected that. We also knew that one of Emma’s favorite materials is wire, so we decided to work that into the gift as well. 

Unlike previous gift provocations, we didn't present all the materials in the initial exploration. Instead we asked the first birthday committee group to source red and blue materials from the Tucker Closet.  Ford and Louisa combed through the closet looking for red and blue materials to use with wire for Emma. 

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Ford: Emma could like this (red decorative ornament)
Louisa: I like this (sparkly blue ribbon)
Ford: Can we take these? Beads?

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Once we took the materials back to the atelier, Ford and Louisa got to work seeing which would work best with the wire. 

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Ford: I need that (the wire cutters). See, im cutting. Cutting tiny pieces
Louisa: Look, beads! I’m putting these on the wire. I want to cut it. 
Ford: See the beads? I’m putting them here. 

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Slowly but surely, Ford and Louisa winnowed down the materials opting to take out some beads that were too small to fit on the wire and some solid, circular materials that were hard to use with the wire. ​

Monday, March 14.

In the Brown Room studio we continued with stringing, bending and designing the wire. Children commented  both on the chosen materials and properties of the wire as they worked. 

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Win: This is a little bead
Ragnar: This is from the schools birthday. Maybe we could use this for my birthday because I’m going to be an adult. 
Ford looking at the hot glue gun on the table: I have one of those at my house. 
Rawls: I’m going to make it. 
Win: I want another one (piece of wire)
Rawls: Look at this pretty one (bead). This kind of looks like a candy cane . It kind of looks like a scarecrow. This is a big one, like this one.

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Rawls explores how his "swing" moves with gravity. 

We finished the day with some of the wires attached to the wood base. The wires created an interlocking look which Ford described as “It’s going to be a wheel right here, a roller coaster”

Tuesday, March 15

On Tuesday we worked to finish the gift. Mimi worked on a “necklace” which she attached to the perimeter of the gift. When working on it, she described her thoughts. “I think she’ll like it." In response to the beads Mimi added, Win replied: “Look! Ok, I need this” and picked up one of the beads for her own design.

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Wednesday, March 16

Today we joyfully celebrated Emma’s birthday! She shared delicious pink cupcakes that she and her mom made and her parents read Boni Ashburn’s I had a Favorite Dress. We cheered Emma on as she walked around the candle three times and enjoyed some time in the sunshine singing birthday songs and Emma’s favorite Baby Shark. 

Happy Birthday Emma!

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