fanciful devices: Update

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.

1/11/10

Update

On the piece for Steam Machine:

Guess what the domed metal part is? Guess! Common object one interacts with maybe even everyday (unfortunately).

Actually, though it looks good, I think it's too short and I should lengthen it.

But my hands are a wreak (all this typing and clicking isn't doing me any favors) because of my carpal tunnel.

But I get my injections on Wednesday. Yay!

Then it's back to MAKING.

Though classes start again tomorrow/today, so I can't do as much. And I'm gonna make a great impression on my students, all loopy from the pain meds.

Gabapentin. It's just for CP and I don't know what else. But, you know, it's not like vicodin or anything where I'd have to worry about withdrawl. If anything, withdrawl is great. My mind clears right up. And the pain returns.

The doctor puts these tiny injections in my wrists, the puncture doesn't even bleed, I don't think, and then they bandage these big taped white gauze chunks around my wrists with to look like I just tried to slash them. It's great. Walking around like that. All: "Um, yeah. I defend a person's right to off themselves if they feel it necessary, and that's fine, but I didn't try to kill myself overnight. Honest. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Now open your books to page 10."

Now go visit Steam Machine and be in awe:

2 comments:

Nowhere Girl said...: hi
thanks for featuring me! I can't wait to see this necklace.; 1/24/10, 2:22 AM
fanciful devices said...: Yay! I love it too! I never would have made it if not for you! Honestly, I'm so overjoyed that you asked for it. I feel like I learned so much from making it, and I want to make more w/similar domed medallions. I'm packing it up tomorrow. :); 1/24/10, 3:28 AM