fanciful devices: Photo Trials

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.

I've been using the 'portrait' setting on 'macro'. I like it but it becomes blurry if my hand isn't as still as a rock. Now I can't remember why I chose this setting. I've been trying 'auto' today, and it doesn't blur nearly as much.

Though it also doesn't come up as sharp, even w/my tinkering.

Or over-tinkering.

I have decided to get photoshop elements, Sparrow's recent mind-bendlingly beautiful pictures may have been a deciding factor. Maybe.

Moving now from the wall to the floor, I found this horror waiting for me this morning:

Gonna have to get it off and start from scratch, I did not intend for minty green hearts!

Look at this lovely something! I'm gonna use it as the base for that heart. Thanks so much, Sparrow! (Do I mention her 50x per post?)

This gal's still in limbo. Limbo lower now:

See that washed out quality? And this is after a bunch of fiddling w/the contrast and brightness....

Some junk. I love me some junk.

No one's guessed the stuff in the spoon, though Debi came closest with 'melted embossing powder'. She also got the funniest guess with 'tree sap.' However, no one addressed how it got in that shape. I'm gonna give it away now w/the following pictures.

Weird color going on here.

Now do you know? It's UTEE- Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel, w/some UTEE Flex mixed in. How about this: $20 gift certificate to the one that can tell me how it got in that shape.

6 comments:

*Debi* said...: Dang, should have specified UTEE. That's the only one I know of. Oh well. lol; 10/9/10, 6:46 PM
Penelope said...: Did you stick it in the oven?

I'm going to have to swear alot now, because those limbo things are awesome- and that resin shot!!!!!! Swearing swear, woman! I looooove the little lamas, and those purple teardrops, did you collage them? I am SO stealing that idea. I'm getting back into collaging everything.; 10/9/10, 10:28 PM
stregata said...: I have no idea how it got in that shape - since I have yet to find a place here where I can get that UTEE. But your little pieces are so intriguing - can't wait to see where they will be used.; 10/10/10, 12:42 AM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: OK! I KNOW where you got the shape for these...it's been driving me crazy but i'm thinking old shoe heels?; 10/14/10, 9:34 PM
fanciful devices said...: old shoe heels? it was a brass oval i cut in half! lol- much easier.; 10/17/10, 8:08 AM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: Well....old shoe heels would have worked too! ......mmmmmmaybe.; 10/18/10, 7:11 PM