fanciful devices: All long and complicated.

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.

8/29/11

All long and complicated.

So I put this guy up.

Eschatology.
OK, I really the meaning of the name of the piece, but the sound of the word 'eschatology' makes me think of poo.

Heavenly.
Anywhosures, as you can see by the title of this post... and all these pictures you are looking at right now... all these have turned into unwieldy monsters with the dangles and the strands and the linking and the wrapping.

I was looking for something downright primordial after all the color I've been searing my optical nerves with, so I got a buttload of ancient-looking beads from RareEarthBeads and went to town.
Heavenly.

But look closer and you can see some bling- rhinestone trim and even a section of golden puffy sequins like so:
Vintage French Celluloid Sequin Beads. Antique Puffed Golden Rondelle Donuts 7mm vcb0001 (50)

Vintage French Celluloid Sequin Beads. Antique Puffed Golden Rondelle Donuts 7mm vcb0001 (50)

I should elaborate on them in the listings. I hate having to remember each dang think I threw in to a piece for listings. I just want the visual to speak for themselves. Though I know people like to know if they're getting special bits. Especially when I also often mix in plastic stuff. I dunno.

Futurology.

Like, if it looks good, I feel like it shouldn't matter what the blog it's made of. That's right. I said it! I don't care if it's plated or plastic or made in a factory yesterday or 50 years ago, in Hong Kong or in Gay Pareee.

Usually that stuff matters because it speaks to quality and style- which is why I do use gemstones and vintage bits- but if you can make it look just as good?

A Holy Place.I'm just babbling mostly. Just look at the new necklaces, that's all. If you can look past the formatting Blogger is tormenting me with.To Them Who Have Never Been.

4 comments:

Flotsam Tide said...: The title of this blog post could very well describe the ruminations of my brain... all long and complicated. I really like the multiple strands, dangles, wrapping and linking... these necklaces don't seem unwieldy to me at all. What you make is tremendous art! Really nice fanci; 8/30/11, 12:20 AM
betweenreader said...: Scatology? As in whose scat is that? Oh this piece is more eschatology -- isn't that the study of last and final things? Anyhow, you are going from glory to glory here. These are wonderful pieces, truly art that transcends the fact that it is jewelry -- each could be displayed as an ancient artifact or a fine bit of modern sculpture! Fantastic, and I love all of them.; 8/30/11, 8:15 AM
Michelle York said...: Bravo!!!; 8/30/11, 9:25 AM
Aqua Junko Artworks said...: Love your work and agree with your view of materials you use. Thanks for the info on Rare Earth Beads -- I just now purchased some -- cool. Keep making your wonderful pieces!!! Lori B.; 8/30/11, 12:40 PM