Sleep Association Art Piece #1 Exploring sleep association themes through the bedtime routine, sleep regression, and the night sky by recreating the constellation of Mia's sign (Capricorn) with the punch holes from the ARIST Loyalty cards.

Night #5 of ARIST - May 26, 2017 I decided that this would be my final night of returning Mia to bed from my post in my studio before incorporating new sleep training methods. As a conscious act of closure, I decided to give myself a painting challenge... Phase 1 Make marks with watercolor when returning to my studio for as long as I had before Mia reached the studio again. The color choices and marks were impulsive as I had little time before I had to return Mia to bed. Phas

Nights #2, 3 & 4 of ARIST - May 23-25, 2017 There is always unpredictability in the developmental stages, but I am also getting an innate sense that adjustments need to be made to my sleep training methods. Continuing to walk Mia back to bed does not seem to be sustainable. Her commitment to walking the 30 feet down the hallway to my studio is matching my commitment to returning her to her bed. Most of the time she is hysterical while doing this until it turns into a game whe

Night #1 of ARIST - May 22, 2017 After the first night, I had to rethink my initial plan to leave a yarn trail that I will later crochet into a blanket. The yarn trail would have impeded on the actual sleep training by being too much of a distraction. Also, after a strained wrist from winding yarn for only 4 trips worth, I realized the plan was not sustainable. The length of my hallway is 30 ft, which means that each trip (walking to Mia's room and back to my studio) is 60 f

Loyalty Cards Just as some businesses offer loyalty cards to reward customers for repeat business, I created my own line of ARIST Loyalty cards as a form of self care during the sleep training experience. For each return trip to my daughter's bedroom, I will receive a punch on my card. Multiple cards can be punched in one night, but each night begins with a new set of cards.

Day 1 of ARIST - May 22, 2017 A Yarn Trail - "Strings Attached" In my first effort to create a visual/tangible record of the attachment between mother and child during the sleep training process, I planned to leave a trail of yarn behind for every time I have to walk Mia back to bed. At the completion of sleep training, I will crochet a blanket from the total length of yarn. Mia bonds with the yarn that will become the ARIST yarn trail. Spooling Yarn at 3 Speeds of Life

ARIST - ARTIST RESIDENCY IN SLEEP TRAINING Artist Statement In efforts to transform sleep training my 2 year old daughter into a positive experience, I had to first look at what I believed would be the most negative part of the experience. I determined this would be the time that would be taken away from making my art. I realized that in order to reevaluate the sleep training experience, I would need to turn it into an art piece. Therefore, it is my intent to embark on an Art