Lace Shadows
4'X2'
One month after I jetted off to Taiwan to see what was up with that guy Norman and I, my step father passed away. I didn't have enough money to fly back to the states and my mom told me not to try to return so I didn't. But a year later, when I did manage to get back she had gotten rid off just about everything that my stepdad had owned. Actually-everything. I had nothing to remember him by and being the sadly materialistic person that I am I was quite distraught.
But then, about a year ago I started collecting old crocheted bits of lace from craigslist, garage sales and flea markets. I mentioned this in passing to my mother. It turned out my step dad actually knew how to make lace and my mom still had one of his pieces, albeit a bit ripped. I sewed the lace onto a pillow, embroidering what lines were missing. The other pieces of lace I have found are either speckling my house like the freckles on my hands or being used in a new series of paintings I am working on. I actually roll oil paint onto the lace and print it, wood cut style onto my paintings, and then carve around them a bit. It's fun. I sold the first one, "Stork", already, done in my favorite long vertical, about 6 feet tall.
I just finished Lace Shadows, but instead of leaving only the color of the unfinished wood cuts I stained the wood lamp black in the shadowy cuts and rolled the lighter hue over to catch the edges. I am currently working on a sky themed piece to balance all the dark shadow.
I am so glad to hear the name you gave to this painting. I call it "my crane painting" and tell everyone who inquires about its place on my wall the story of our Thai House date night. We spent the night trading life stories over mangos and sticky rice and happened on the subject that you often painted people with animals. Your subjects often commented that you magically picked an animal they'd designated a "familiar" prior to ever seeing your painting. We switched subjects that night or else I would have told you that my animal spirit is a blue heron, white crane, or other stork like bird. I always feel so moved when I see them! You began this paiting just after our date, so I felt sure that it was destined to be mine and found a way to buy it!
ReplyDeleteI saw an intense, gray blue King Fisher on a walk today... What magic will that sighting bring? You aren't painting those birds are you?
Thank you for creating this paiting and for helping it find its way to my home. Looking forward to buying more bird pieces in the future - hopefully Angelina won't beat me to the latest Victorian stork picture!
who knows- perhaps I did pick up on your totem animal- stranger things have certainly happened in my family. hmmm..I honestly didn't know we had king Fishers around here. There are such pretty stout little guys.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a rather small girl walking with my mom through the outskirts of town we happened on an store carrying a myriad of random things. On display was an enormous book of birds- drawings, not photos, with a dark green cover. My memory is fuzzy but I think the store keeper actually GAVE me the book or perhaps sold it for only a couple dollars. I loved, herons and storks and rosy billed ibis's and all the wonderful possibility of bird. At any rate, I still have it and use it as reference, though its cover is falling off and its spine peeling. Its some very old inspiration!
Thanks for your kind apreciation. Im happy "Stork" found a happy home.
That is really wonderful that you got that piece of lace your stepfather made! A complete treasure. In fact, probably more personal and cool than anything else you could have found to remember him by.
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