My home is a bit of a midden. Things arrive here in many ways—through my own efforts, my fathers gift giving, things inherited from my grandmother and her father, my friends bringing me things. Sometimes by more mysterious means.

For most if, not all of these things, I am but a stop on the road. They might stay will me all my life and then pass on to someone else, or the right person might step through my door and walk out with something that they need. Some leave changed—repainted, remade, turned from glue and paper to hardened collage. Though I have to admit, I tend to acquire quicker than I give away.

Finding interesting objects, developing an eye for them, is one part of my work as a transformative artist.

Here are some of the things that have come and gone this week.

Objects of Interest

J. and I found this in a Good Will and couldn’t leave it behind. It’s so strange and ephemeral. The outer edge designs are individually placed with and lacquered over—-probably with mod podge. Some one took a lot of care with this. The reserve of those single bowls of fruit in the sea of green in particular speaks to me.

J. suggested it as something to transform—we’ve been really getting into the idea of collaborating with artists unknown when we dream about art together. But I’m not sure I can bare to change it much. I think I’ll just restore it—-sand down the parts that are splintering, give it a fresh coat of lacquer, and reverse the hinges so it can store flat.

But then again, even as I look at this picture I can start to see that it might want more. If it does, you’ll see that process.

This use to hang on the wall at the house in the country. I think it was my Grandmother’s made by my grandfather. She really liked books where animals could talk but we’re not overly anthropomorphized. I used to lay on her bed at the country house while she read me Wind in the Willows and I looked at the pictures.

There was a matching one of these but it didn’t speak to me a much and I’m running out of wall space. This is the one I always loved, because who but a fox would choose these paragraphs to frame. Roast Duck indeed!

This one was rescued from my dad’s collection of cold war errata. Its rare to find things which so effortlessly cut to the heart of the American defense industry.

Too bad there isn’t a second panel where Johnny Mushroomseed turns around and bombs a country for using the technology we developed and leaked.

My father brought me four more dogs for the dog altar, which is now so full its nearly overflowing with ones of all shapes and sizes. I did a little rearranging and these four have found their places, but woe to the next creature to wander into my house. It will most definitely be squished between two Snoopys.

Art Supplies

These three straddle the line between object of interest and art supply. J. and I have been experimenting with doing art, particularly collage, on top of pages out of books. Its been really fun and I picked these three up thinking I might do something with them.

I got them for about a 50 cents each, but it turns out the first two are comparatively valuable and I do not feel super compelled by them. I might just scan them for upload to an archive and then pass them to my dad to sell at the antique stand.

The last is crazy. Its a memorial magazine for the Twin Towers with out any information on who made it or published it available. It ends with 3 straight pictures of other world trade centers, which seems to lesson the blow they demand we never forget.

The thrift store which I got the books from had a huge bin high quality yarn marked down to almost nothing. I already have too much yarn but I picked these three up to add to my stash. I think they might look really good in my current weaving project.

I also picked up four skeins as a gift for an elder who weaves, but they are not pictured.

I found this hanging in the men’s section of good will today. Its nothing more than 2 yards of fabric that someone hemmed so it wouldn’t fall apart. It’s absolutely stunning. I will probably cut one bird from its net out and use it as an applique for my current regalia project, but who knows what I’ll use the rest for.

I recently learned you could lay tool over corduroy to achieve something that looks like velvet in most light. The piece I saw was part of an exhibit of Italian opera costumes and was white tool on white corduroy, but I bet I could make something stunning with that method and this tool. I’ll keep an eye out for a similarly colored base fabric.

Between everything going on I managed to make it to the art store. I picked up a new sketchbook to take with me on my journey to the dance since I am almost done with my last one.

I got the gel medium to try as collage glue. It's recommended when gluing to canvas because it is made to flex with the fabric but dries clear. In the past I've just used Mod Podge, But I am becoming increasingly concerned with longevity and lightfastness of my art—especially since I am really trying to get exhibited—and this is an archival option.

The rubber implement is for spreading glue. I want to see if I can get less tears in my magazine pieces if I flatten them with flexible rubber tool instead of a roller or scrapper.

Departures

J. left with five notebooks from my stash today since he’s close to finishing his others. I genuinely love supplying notebooks to others—-it makes me feel like I’m really nurturing an artistic process besides my own.

These are headed to I., who uses old camera’s in her work. I think the Bullet is broken but I’m sure her and the crew can get it working again—nothing rattles when I shake it and there’s not much rush on the inside. The lens is cloudy. It looks almost salt crusted, but there are no deep scratches or cracks. I suspect I. might leave the build up there for a shot or two just to see what the effect is. Or she might not. That matters less than the pleasure of getting an old thin into the hands of something that will love it.

More next time,

Weaver

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