fanciful devices: Carnival Saloon

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.

8/16/10

Carnival Saloon

High Lonesome blue grass inspired antique crazy quilt cuff all recycled from down de bayou

Iz'o The Strong Man - Handmade Fabric Doll

The Juggler Girl's headband (black, dusty pink)

Ticket to ride - Fine art photograph - merry-go-round

velvet jeweled and beaded headband(elegance and decadence)

JoJo The Dog Faced Boy - Altered Antique Plate

Striped Neo-Victorian Classic Lolita Jumperskirt - Aurorette

Queen of the Yukon - Fine Art Photograph Print 8x10

Toms about Town. Soldered Slide Reversible Necklace.

Gold lame dress with hand painted carousel horses

Stunning treasury by missquitecontrary. Included artists are very worth investigating, I suggest you get clicking.
this:
to my single years i bid adieu(wedding headpiece)

to my single years i bid adieu(wedding headpiece)

and this:

and this:

Portrait of E.T., Prince of Spain 1582 - Altered Antique Plate

and this from an amazing shop called Bayou Salvage:
Bayou Bloomers rustic ruffle pantaloon in FRENCH VANILLA..S.M.L.PLUS.from down de bayou

All of these are waiting to be discovered....

2 comments:

Penelope said...: Bayou salvage was the shop that made me realise I could make raggedy lace cuffs. I was making cuffs at the time but more street-style, and I was doing the raggedy lace textile thing in my artwork, and then I saw their shop and realised I could adapt the lace into cuffs, and do more elaborate versions of theirs. And lo I was born.

That pinafore dress is hot stuff.; 8/16/10, 11:27 PM
Renaissance Festivals said...: i liked your carnival saloon..great collocation of carnival fashionable design

Thanks for sharing would you like link exchange with Renaissance-Festivals.com; 9/15/10, 3:58 AM