fanciful devices: WIPin' it up!

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.

1/13/11

WIPin' it up!

Here's an incomplete bracelet. Experimenting w/little button gem heishi. Making my own gradiated strands. Sort of a play on watermelon tourmaline.

And then here's a pair of earrings I made today, driving myself crazy making little holes, cutting fine chain to matching lengths, trying to get the mini jump rings through the tiny holes. I sure do like to drive myself crazy with the little bits and pieces.

OK, so after all that talk about prices and so on, I listed 8 things and sold half of them w/in 24 hours! Long after I'd given up on the idea of being an artist, thinking it a silly child's dream, one that broke my heart several times over. Like the Buddhists say, you can only get it once you let it go. I found a super elaborate drawn/painted/collaged work I made several years ago in which I declared to myself in big letters using all the colors of the rainbow and with all the artistry at my disposal "EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER WANTED YOU WILL NEVER GET."

And now. Here I am swimming in joy and I just don't know. I wish I could store this up for the bad times. Or to mail to Somalia ...

4 comments:

stregata said...: Drool! 'scuse me!
So, what do we learn from this? Maybe - stop worrying about everything and just create with all your heart. What could be better?; 1/13/11, 9:27 AM
betweenreader said...: Oh Fanciful, I can't imagine you ever doubted your artistry, but then I remember the same state of mind, myself. You are so right about the letting go. So now you are a Wise Artist. You know I love and value your work!; 1/14/11, 1:44 PM
Pretty Things said...: I can't believe (no, I CAN believe) how freaking talented you are.; 1/15/11, 9:19 AM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: Own it, Fanci....Own it.
xoxox; 1/15/11, 11:11 AM