I now have three Safe Houses made. There are tiny bits of gold leaf in each one. I think I am going to keep making these for a while and then find a way to let them go. The clothes line in each one seems important to me. Making more might show me why that is so. Here is where my Art Group comes in. They are so supportive and questioning full of observations that I have not seen. And they are encouraging on the work that is hard to talk about, hard because it is a bit raw yet.
Also in the studio is the In Search of Lost Time parts. They are waiting for me to find the time and inclination to continue. I think one reason I don’t go on with some of these pieces is simple. What do I do with it when I am finished? Where does it go? How much more space can I give it to just hang out in the studio to show to students and Art Group? And who in the world collects things like this in a day of preferring to just have something “pretty” sitting there? Who wants to think about what an object might possess in the way of meaning?
There are lots of clock parts here so I really do need to get back to assembling them. I bought horse shoe nails to hook over parts to nail into wooden bases. They don’t call them “horse shoe” nails anymore, now they are fence post nails for wire. They are so handy to have in the studio for keeping things in place when using wooden parts.
And speaking of wooden pieces, here is an installation in the making that has hung out in the corner of the studio for some time waiting for me dig out the rest of the parts that go into it and then get down to business.
It is called, “What Was She Thinking?” There are a total of five of these old balsam hat forms that I have saved for many years. Each will be perched upon one of these large weaving spools. I am thinking that the failed bowl turning of my son’s in the center here will mount onto a shorter spool with the “girls” all gathered round. In their heads I will take advantage of the right and left brain thinking processes. Holes might be carved into their heads with chain attached books that can be examined but only returned to that side of the brain. Some of them may have connections to brain in the middle of their grouping, some may prefer to opt out and stay with their own thoughts. I was recently given an old clear light bulb which will be mounted to the top of the brain in the middle….an idea source of sorts.
I need the distraction of this kind of work. Like all of my close acquaintances the election here in the states has given us pause as to what kind of people we are. How little other people’s rights really matter in the face of seeking our own comfort zone. It is a telling time for all of us and I am willing to wait it out in my studio and give support when and where I can to those feeling the pain of what our country has done.
And here is another picture of something in the studio. A reminder that it won’t be long and I will be winging away to Australia again. Such comfort in that!
