Wheel of Life Opening + Seder +The Fifth House

Last Friday was the big day - the opening reception for my new body of work Wheel of Life. Followed the next day by a 10 kid nerf battle for my son’s birthday, a trip to the dollar store with the teens and a reheated roast chicken dinner and a couple episodes of The Studio.

I was able to get a little more rest on Sunday morning before making whipped feta dip with spicy honey for our first family Seder experience at my cousin’s apartment. My cousin and I grew up far away from each other but now we both live in Portland. His father (my first cousin) married a Jewish woman, so here we are. I guess technically my cousin who hosted the event is my first cousin once removed.

Our host explained a bit of the tradition to get us oriented. JD and I were probably the most out of the loop as our kids had all attended mini seders in preschool, and we were as green as it gets. We tasted the bitter things, and got the gist of the storytelling before getting into the hiding of the afikomen.

My cousin stipulated that the kid who found the afikomen would get to negotiate with the host for something special. Not surprisingly, Violet found the afikomen under a paving stone (good hiding place) but only after a couple of clues. I’m not sure any hiding spot is hidden enough for Violet. She is a thorough searcher. I have on many occasions opened the cabinet door or drawer where I thought I had hidden something well only to discover the empty packaging of whatever I had stashed away.

When pressed by my cousin for her ‘ask’ she thought carefully as we all waited with baited breath. And my cousin suggested ideas - in past years, people have asked for a lunch delivery, or that the host would make a meal at the winners house, or things kind of along those lines.

I was feeling a tiny bit worried that Violet would freeze under the pressure. I’ve certainly almost cracked under the pressure of being on the spot in a family situation. Something about my mother’s line has to do with a bit of a hazing or maybe teasing, a bit of competitive showmanship. You know that being able to hold your ground when all eyes are on you is critical. In this case, its manifested in a pretty wholesome opportunity for children to think about how to present a case that can garner support from the ‘head of the household.’

Not to be too on the nose, my mother’s side hails from Texas.

So I wasn’t sure what would happen. We don’t usually do this type of thing with my kids.

But then, Violet stepped up with this opening bid: I would like a punch card, good for 6 batches of chocolate chip cookies that must be delivered to her in 24 hours.

She definitely did not freeze! And thus began a chain of counter offers that ended with 4 batches of 12 cookies that must be delivered within 72 hours from her request, unless my cousin is out of town, in which case they must be delivered within a week. And she has to share at least one with each member of our household (phew)

The dinner was delicious. Our kids were talking so much we could barely say anything at all - it was a tidal wave of teen and tween energy. Recapping their favorite book series, teasing each other, telling stories about our recent trip to Spain. Their enthusiasm knows very few bounds.

I left feeling grateful for this new-ish family connection here in Portland. It was comforting somehow to experience the familiar strains of our family’s generational culture, while also weaving in new melodies.

My grandmother’s map

My cousin has this map of Texas that my grandmother drew in 1946. Texas bragging rights of the period abound. My grandfather was an engineer in the oil industry, perhaps this has something to do with those pipelines…

Studio Updates:

The Fifth House: Vitality and Intuitive Creativity

This is straight from Google’s AI description:

In astrology, the 5th house represents creativity, romance, fun, pleasure, and the expression of the self. It's also associated with children, self-expression through the arts, and the ability to see the fun in everyday life. The 5th house reflects the spark of new love, romance, and leisure activities.

Title:

I focused on creative self expression and fun aspects this house in this piece. The other elements I chose for the title came from Leo (Creativity), whose home is the 5th house, and the Sun (Vitality). My own placement in this house is Pisces (Intuitive), which I think adds a minor twinge to the otherwise cheerful and vital energy here. And I think this shows up in my artwork. I’m often chasing my sense of curiosity and playfulness, while adding in a somber or slightly discordant note to season things. Its maybe a bit too saccharine otherwise.

This has been one of the most popular pieces of the series, and I am excited to use this as inspiration for another set of paintings.

As always, I truly appreciate your presence here.

If you want to see more of my work, please check out my website , or my instagram feed.

For sales inquiries about this piece and others in my most recent exhibit, please contact hello@chefasprojects.com.

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