As most who know me know, I've been involved in an arts workshop/parade every year for about 14 years around the time of the Summer Solstice. It's a rejuvenating, exhilarating experience for me to create art bigger than myself, using just my hands...a land where there is no copy, paste or undo.
Sophia of course has been in the parade all her life. I met her dad there and the creative energy coursing thru us at this same season brought a life into being, 4 years ago.
So this year, Sophia designed her own float. Inspired by the Eragon stories, she wants to be a dragon rider. So mama is making not one but 4 dragon sculptures for Sophia and her friends to ride on. Sophia is our only "boy" character, all her other friends are going to be princesses. But that's my girl!! (little white kid in the photo above, short hair - "like Eragon")
Below is a story I wrote on it for the local paper. More photos here.
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When asked what she wanted to make for Solstice this year, 4 year old Sophia Smith-Morrison told sculptor mom Laura Smith that she wanted to ride on the back of a dragon. Sophia proceeded to demonstrate with her hands how she wanted the dragon's mouth to open & close, and for cardboard fire to come out of its mouth. After being a passive participant in the parade for her first 3 years, Sophia designed her first float at the ripe old age of 4!
At 3 months of age, Sophia rode along with mom, wrapped up in a sling carrier, which Laura made from the same fabric as her own costume, and they danced up State Street together. At age 1, 2 & 3, Sophia napped thru the parade, in a stroller decorated as a Pegasus, a flower, and a clownfish respectively. This year, she will ride atop a dragon of her own design, along with many of her friends. Sophia prefers the "Eragon" style costume, while many of her friends have chosen princess or knight attire. The float will be comprised of 3-4 large dragon sculptures which will seat 2 children each. Other costumes include carry along dragons (hobby horse style) which will be ridden by older children on skates, roller blades and scooters, as well as dragon costumes for parents who will carry their infant "riders" on their backs.
While Laura and Sophia are Solstice "old-timers" (mom has been both on the staff and the Board of Directors of Solstice in the past), they have created the ensemble this year side-by-side with another family who is brand new to the Solstice experience. The Erringers, mom Anu, dad Alan, daughter Katja (age 5) and son Nicolas (age 2), have been instrumental to the creation of the 3 large dragon floats, as well as a dozen or more dragon masks and costumes. Alan has been in the parade once before, and offers his broad technical, engineering & construction skills to the float. The rest of the Erringer family are new to Solstice, and are having a transformative experience as their 2 year old son learns to use hand tools, and their 5 year old daughter opens up to the creative experience. Anu is enjoying overseeing the painting, papier-maching and production/decorating of dragon masks.
"Our children love having a "job" that they are responsible for. It's been a wonderful experience to watch our 5 year old daughter grow up a little by taking on the responsibility for carrying Dad's tool bag into Solstice each day, or being in charge of certain projects, like painting or papier maché," says Alan Erringer.
An interesting contribution this group of parents has made to the Solstice parade is the concoction of a non-toxic papier maché paste. The wallpaper paste typically used for large maché projects contains toxic chemical preservatives. The moms decided to research alternatives and tested several paste recipes, settling on a very simple, inexpensive mixture of cornstarch, salt and water. Traditionally, papier maché paste was made from just flour and water; preservatives have been added to prolong shelf life. This team took it one step further, since one of the children has a gluten allergy, they found a way to make an equally durable paste not only non-toxic, but also wheat free!
This ensemble offers many opportunities for those interested in getting involved with Solstice. We have had volunteers of all ages helping with this float, from toddler to teen to grandparents. If you've always wanted to come down and get creative at Solstice, come to the workshop and look for the Dragon Riders. We'll be sure to find something fun for you to work on! And we are starting to recruit adults to help pull the dragons on the day of the parade (the "Dragon Draggers" as we are calling ourselves). Come down, decorate a mask, whip together a costume, and enjoy Solstice dragon style!
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