fanciful devices: Crisis in the fancifuldevices world

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.

11/21/10

Crisis in the fancifuldevices world

(1st pic- a button and cab I assembled with antique French jet stones)

Um. My computer died. Completely died. Since ours is/was a Mac, we have no experience with it breaking down on us and therefore we have no idea what to do. Hubs gots a friend who maybe can kinda help, so if that doesn't work, I think we're gonna get a new one on Tues. Meanwhile. I made a buncha stuff and took crappy pix last night under artificial light and edited them on my dad's computer which has an old version of photoshop that makes no sense to me. No unsharp mask! wtf? Anyways...

Here you see the continuation of my dirty whites obsession...

Ok, you cant tell but that's a Virgin Mary on the worn fabric stuck to a piece of rusty tin w/the curved frame simply layered over it.

A piece of hyper-oxidized hardware into which i've fitted a little bulb. Made an awesome pinky ring, but it'll break w/the slightest bump, so I'm using it as a focal.

Now, am I actually gonna take decent pictures of these and try to list them on my dad's computer from my parents' house? Ugh...

6 comments:

Anonymous said...: So sorry! Computer problems are a pain in the neck, aren't they? I hope you get yours fixed soon!; 11/21/10, 3:34 PM
Spirited Earth said...: sorry about your computer..
i had a conversation yesterday m the topic: things one cannot have too many of
..tape,rulers,flashlights and i have added computers..one needs several because one or the other is always ( excuse me) crapping out.; 11/21/10, 4:03 PM
Spirited Earth said...: oh a comment about an earlier post.
have you checked out creeks photos she has a fuzzed or darkened edge to her shots..
i don't have unsharp mask either..; 11/21/10, 4:05 PM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: (HUGE sigh)...I want unlimited funding to supply my habit and I want it now...I am officially addicted to your work.
These recent pieces are amazing...even with the lighting and computer issues...they still look fantastic...and wonderful...and interesting...and stunning....and did I say amazing?....; 11/21/10, 4:44 PM
Pretty Things said...: Ugh, sorry about the computer! I don't know what I'd do without mine.

But where oh where do you find the coolest things? Rhetorical question, but man you have cool goodies.; 11/21/10, 6:00 PM
stregata said...: Ooooh, computer problems. Ouch. I remember when mine died on me just a year ago. Such a pain... hope things get resolved soon.
Meanwhile, I continue to love your dirty white obsession and the fascinating bits and bobs you find for your work.; 11/21/10, 11:23 PM