Remnants Of Olde

Don’t you like just to play sometimes and with nary a care for making anything such as something to sell (or go in a book or to teach in a workshop or put on an online class)?!??!?

I think that can be just the ticket when there are many things to do. Sometimes it’s great just take a break and do nothing and that is just dandy sometimes. But lately I’ve found that it is also like drinking a magic elixir to do some collaborations just like Darkey’s Dream which I wrote about in my last two posts.

There are a couple more that I’ve been playing around with and so, JUST FOR FUN, here they are.

This first one came to me nearly as you see it from Rachel Whetzel. I was very inspired by this– surprisingly so because I don’t usually go for bright colors and also am one of those unfortunate ones afflicted with deep clown phobias. But Rachel did such a fun piece that I was just gleeful to get started on it.

The first thingie I did was add dreadlocks to the clown’s bald head.  No telling why I was compelled to do this.  I just kept seeing him with dreads.  But before I glued down the  nappy  locks of crocheted and distressed wool yarn I affixed a little magnet underneath (you’ll soon see why).

Next I made a grand big top hat with a singed silk brim and a large propeller on the top. I must say it is great fun to give that thing a good spin.

Since the hat was taking up so much real estate on the front I thought it would be only fair to give the other two artists working on this a chance to make more hats for our little clown friend and/or to add more behind him without his substantial hat getting in the way.   So the solution was to embed a magnet in the hat which allows it to be removed yet held securely when he wants to wear it at a jaunty tilt on his head.

I’m also working on yet another round robin “The Traveling Heart Project” hosted by the amazing Leighanna Light.  I’m so happy to be included in this as it looks like it will be awesome with so many cool artists participating!   I don’t have it quite ready for pics yet so my next post will probably have that in it.

I just came back from Sactown (Sacramento) a few days ago and had such a grand time visiting with family.  I wanted to share with you one of  my daugther, Christine’s, treasures.  I just love this piece so much too!!

This hall tree has a very thin footprint as I believe it only it about 9 inches deep at the base.  But the ornate woodwork is stunning and the most interesting thing of all is that it is actually deeply charred on one side.  How it didn’t burn up completely is a mystery that will likely never be solved.

The detail pic I took actually doesn’t show the charring as much as the other one but a fun discovery was a Victorian fortune spinner top that I made for her some years ago.  I didn’t see it until just now when I was cropping the image down to a manageable size.

And finally from the Dorky files here is an actual gated community that starts right in the middle of a block.  So yes you are actually seeing this it’s not Photoshopped in I swear!   I was lucky enough to have breakfast with three of my four kids Sunday before last at a traditional English pub no less.  But while we were all waiting for my son Shawn and watching pics from Ben’s trip to Mexico,  Shawn took a wrong turn getting to Ben’s house (oh yes getting lost is a genetic trait that we share!) and saw this amazing site.   So before we went off to eat we went back to find this just so we all could see and doubters (like me) would believe.

Can you imagine being on the *outside* of this ridiculous gate?!?!?  I wonder how much the “outsiders” suffered with property values going down with this eyesore to contend with every day?  WOW!!!  I think I’ll refile this from under D for “Dorky” to C for “Can’t Believe An Entire Neighborhood Bought Into This Stupid Idea”

OK, enough of this dorky stuff!!  Now off to eat some oven friend chicken and then head back to the studio.  We actually are working on two workshop new samples today that we’re SO excited about!!!

It is quite a thrill indeed when some of these wild ideas I get in the middle of the night or in my dreams actually work.   Really it’s astounding some times!!!

Catch you soon and my apologies that I haven’t posted as much as I usually do.