fanciful devices: watercolours

A Stone Is Nobody's

A man ambushed a stone. Caught it.
Made it a prisoner.
Put it in a dark room and stood guard over it for the rest of his life.

His mother asked why.

He said, because it's held captive, because it is captured.

Look, the stone is asleep, she said, it does not know whether it's in a garden or not. Eternity and the stone
are mother and daughter; it is you who are getting old. The stone is only sleeping.

But I caught it, mother, it is mine by conquest, he said.

A stone is nobody's, not even its own. It is you who are conquered; you are minding the prisoner, which is yourself,
because you are afraid to go out, she said.

Yes yes, I am afraid, because you have never loved me, he said.

Which is true, because you have always been to me as the stone is to you, she said.

Russell Edson

FAQs

1. Are you a Southeast Asian dancing girl from the 1800s?

No, sorry to disappoint. My avatar and banner images are from an ancient book I found in the depths of my grandmother's cabinets. More on that here.

2. How do you make everything look so old?

First, you need a good oxidizer to brush on every bit of metal you can reach. I'll tell you all about it here.

Then there's this wax. I first mentioned it here. You'll have to scroll down a lot.

3. How can you be so productive?

I'm insanely obsessed and I have no offspring. I do nothing else- I don't have a day job, I don't clean my house or cook, I spend all day in pjs, often completely abandoning personal hygiene... I only interact with other humans when I walk my dog. And I like people! But I prefer dogs.

And I'm sloppy- but I make that sloppiness work for me.

4. Any tips you'd like to share?

No! Except for these 16 posts about techniques and this one about how to find your aesthetic.

5. Would you be offended if I took some inspiration from your designs?

Well, I'd be happier if you outright copied them.

No really, imitation is how we learn. I have enough ideas to go around. And even if I don't- please. No one's going to do this obsessively enough to threaten my business. (Probably.) I learned by copying others and I've seen others copy me as a step toward developing their own voice. So feel free. (I'd love if you tossed me a link in my comments, so I can feel like a proud momma.)

6. What do you look like?

Why, what have you heard? Really? Wow.

7/13/10

watercolours

Sparrowsalvage put together one of the most beautiful treasuries I've ever been in. I've just been clicking through these stores, my imagination racing. Very worthwhile to click through them all.
2 Vintage Beaded Ribbon Pieces Repurpose

2 Vintage Beaded Ribbon Pieces Repurpose

Dreamer Necklace - vintage antique Lace Beaded Chains on brown velvet with crystals and flowers

Somnambulism - Bleached Peacock Feather Brass Chain Recycled Bullet Casing Earrings

Indian Head Nickle and Old World Glass Bracelet

Summerian Goddess Necklace - Antique Hardware Collection

Demiurgic Emanations. Salvaged Textile Cuff.

Pink purple bubbles ring - Rough Smithsonite specimens and sterling silver

Chained To The Past mixed media wrist cuff

Beads Handmade Papier Mache Boomerang Beads by artspell

Brick-shaped Purple and Green Fluorite Beads, Lot of 30 Beads

It includes my this:
Demiurgic Emanations. Salvaged Textile Cuff.

But check this out:
2 Vintage Beaded Ribbon Pieces Repurpose

And, well this Indian Head Nickle and Old World Glass Bracelet

this:

and this:

OK, all of them. check them all out.

5 comments:

Jo Archer said...: They are just beautiful, I'm off to check them out.

By the way Marina, I'm having a clear out of some stuff and wondered if you would like some it.; 7/13/10, 1:30 AM
fanciful devices said...: stuff? i love stuff! what stuff?; 7/13/10, 11:10 AM
Jo Archer said...: Oh no! Now you sound all excited. Don't! I've got loads of junky jewellery bits and bobs, odds and sods. I was going to get rid of some of them and then wondered if you could use them to take apart and work your magic on.

I've put up some photos on Flickr, but please don't get your hopes up. I wish I had something fabulous to send to you. You can have none, some or all.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38063576@N02/; 7/13/10, 1:27 PM
fanciful devices said...: i just checked em out- its all usable stuff. since i am, as always, drowning in supplies, i put a couple suggestions in the comments that you might want to try. anything else, send my way. so sweet of you to think of me! that's actually totally flattering and sweet- thank you so much.; 7/13/10, 6:42 PM
Jo Archer said...: Ok, e-mail your address and I'll send everything but the seed beads.; 7/14/10, 12:07 AM