fanciful devices: peeks

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.

9/4/11

peeks

Here's some stuff I'm making. Well, mostly done making, but... we'll see.

Man, everything's starting to look the same.

I guess that means I've really found my style.

Soon it will mean I'm stagnating and old with no more ideas, but not quite yet I don't think. Give me at least a decade.

8 comments:

Diana P. said...: Really love all the pieces but my favorites are the earrings and that leather cuff bracelet. Gorgeous!; 9/4/11, 7:38 PM
Penelope said...: You found your style ages ago! This is called evolution my deary. ALL these pieces make me weak at the knees.; 9/4/11, 11:16 PM
stregata said...: Those last earrings are superb!!! Exclamation mark.; 9/4/11, 11:21 PM
Flotsam Tide said...: Each of these pieces has such grace and beautiful symmetry. I love the eye necklace, what a stunner! You never cease to amaze....; 9/5/11, 4:15 AM
Michelle York said...: Never happen! These new pieces are fabulous!; 9/5/11, 9:19 AM
Regina Moore said...: LOVE, love, love the leather and rhinestone cuff bracelet! Love it! Did I mention that I love it?!; 9/5/11, 11:18 AM
La Fileuse said...: This is definitively your style. And yes, I agree, it's starting to look the same. But I think that you've found the perfect formula, the one that suits you and suits everybody's eyes. Yet, each piece made by your hands carries another spirit. Isn't this your power ? :); 9/5/11, 4:40 PM
dd said...: I couldn't stand it when all my work started looking the same. Had to switch it up. But I was so ready for a change in so many ways in other aspects of my life, too. Couldn't stand the stagnation.; 9/5/11, 6:38 PM