fanciful devices: previews, sea lions

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.

4/7/12

previews, sea lions

Still making away...

Some previews of what I'll be taking pictures of and listing tomorrow. I'm sick again guys! Feel poopy. But imagine how much worse it would be if I had to actually go in to work? Man I'm really living my wildest dreams doing this full-time. I mean, a dream I had long abandoned and never even let myself think about... sigh...

Life is lovely for me right now.

This wooden thing is a tiny vial where a saint used to live. The top unscrews, it's totes adorbs.

This was half a mini portrait frame leather holder thing. I put in a stamp from Uruguay cuz the place still looks exactly like that, and finished the cuff off with tin. And tons of wire and a Haskinflameker diamond.

OK, so maybe some of you prefer to staying hotels like real people. So I looked up hotel room and got pictures of real beds with awesome 80s bead spreds on them and also this:

A face even a mother might take issue with. Which of course led me on a google images trip all through Uruguay sea lion land. We have the biggest population of sea lions in a tiny island off the coast somewhere and they like to visit to do all the touristy things.

Like ordering lunch at an outdoor cafe.

Pirate fashion news: Pups are the new parrot-->> Firm friends: The head of S.O.S Rescate Fauna Marina, Richard Tesore, playing with the baby seal

Firm friends: The head of S.O.S Rescate Fauna Marina, Richard Tesore, playing with the baby seal

Offering abstract modern art to a snooty critic.-->

Where was I?
Oh for you who need specific dates before deciding. I was thinking next year so I'm arbitrarily going to say the last week of May. It's good weather- just after the worst of summer... I guess you'd call it fall. Yeah, that's it.
Now. Would you all wanna bring your own snips and hammers and pliers in checked luggage or would you rather I bought a pile of tools there and had them available for us there? Then I could either leave them for future Touruguays or we could bring them back... depending on your preferences I could decide how much toolage to get...(I've had one more confirm thru convo.)

Art & Soul Las Vegas 2012

I've also been invited to apply to teach at Art & Soul for 2013. I'm thinking of doing a class on tin cuffs and rings with decoupage, distressing and foiling. Something way easy for my 1st time teaching.... I dunno if anyone would be interested in that or... I dunno... A new friend lana guerra who was the one who told the organizers about me says I should do the bangles. But then I have to send in a physical sample of whatever I'd be teaching and since I just sold off the bunch I made for the tute... ugh... I've had enough bangle making for the next thousand years.
As for the Uruguay workshops- that would be all about incorporating the goodies you all find. So it would depend on what you get! And I guess coming up with lots of possibilities and variations for how to use and connect them. Like maybe stuff you wouldn't have thought of? Or not? Whaddu I kno? Maybe I'll just set you guys out with tools and wire and just criticize everything you do: "Umm... that looks fugly? So stop it." YEAH! I'm such a good teacher.
Lookit these grandbabies:

Are they not gorgeous?From Gallery13. All ancient and beachy. *swells with pride*

13 comments:

Beatnheart said...: i already commented but it got losted.

what did i say...oh yeah...
2013 is gonna be one heck of a year...I need to start selling my poo tush off to make the dosh to finance all
fanciful plans. now i wanna go to art and soul too..yikes

is that miss Kim Numinosity’s most excellent jugs and urns and beads on a stickk? you and she make bee utiful music together...what a killer combination of talents juxpositioning and doing the hoochie coo.; 4/8/12, 12:44 AM
Louise said...: I LOVE your new creations Marina they are stunning. I can't wait to drool over the finished pieces! Fugly. Sea lions rock I love them. In all their awkwardness they have a way of looking totally blissfully awkward. It's astonishing.; 4/8/12, 3:14 AM
Jackie said...: I must agree the new creations are gorgeous, the sea lions are "cute". I got so excited when I saw you were going to teach at Art and Soul but then I got most sad when I saw Las Vegas. How 'bout Art and Soul Virginia?? Yeah, yeah!! Or how about Art and Soul at your house, I could rock with that. Or you could do house calls. Uruguay is sounding so fun.; 4/8/12, 5:56 AM
Jackie said...: Beatnheart, I HATE it when my comments get losted! Grrrr!!; 4/8/12, 5:56 AM
Chelsea said...: I'm all sorts of depressed 'cuz no matter when you set the Uruguay trip, I can't go. This is my last free summer eh-ver--or at least until I graduate and have a real job. But maybe you could make this a bi-annual thing! Yeah! I could go in 2015. Or maybe 2016 . . .; 4/8/12, 9:21 AM
Rosie Moceri said...: Gorgeous wooden vile. A saint used to live there? Love the imagery on that.

Ha, have so much fun in Uruguay people! Can I give someone money to buy me whatever cool shit you find there?

Plus, the nail on the that blingy necklace is divine!; 4/8/12, 10:09 AM
Jackie said...: Oh what a great idea Rosie, can I give someone money to buy me whatever cool shit you find there too?; 4/8/12, 10:57 AM
Aqua Junko Artworks said...: I am thinking Uruguay. Depending on customs I think small hand tools would not be a problem - took mine to Mexico and they laughed at my small hammers! We could also share. So didn't know about the sea lions. As for the classes I think just making stuff with what we get there sounds cool! May sounds good but it is so far away...I am excited and will make this happen!; 4/8/12, 11:08 AM
Lela said...: You're making Uruguay sound so fun! Wish I could go, but for various reasons, there's no way I can plan that far ahead. Maybe when it gets closer & someone has to drop or or something?? Or maybe you can buy twice as much as normal & we can all help you unload it. Yes? :D

Hey, thanks for the shout out on my bangles. It was much fun...and I'm looking forward to trying other color themes. All because of your great TUTE <~~~♥♥; 4/8/12, 11:58 AM
Numinosity said...: Oh man, May just kind of killed it for me. I checked into flights from Alaska and it's 29 plus hours of travel not to mention the extra plane fare and not the best time for me in general. I could do April However if you care to reconsider. I know it's all a long way off.

I was so depressed with the possibility of not being able to attend that I didn't even recognize my pieces in your photos! It would have never occurred to me to put the nail SIDEWAYS! You are such a design genius, I'm tellin' ya!

Love seeing 13's bangles and congrats on the invite to apply.

We need to talk about some other possibilities such as a workshop in Bisbee AZ and I can show you guys how to melt glass on to old rusty things.

Don't know if anyone's gone over to the blah blah blah forum recently but I was floating and idea for a small paper swapso you could have some variety of papers for the tin bezel tute
xoxo Kim; 4/8/12, 1:43 PM
darlene said...: blast from the past! i used to rivet (with my own baby rivets) antique shell buttons onto sterling silver. what georgous fun! love what you are up to and hearing about the trip. more fun, fun! feel betta!; 4/8/12, 3:48 PM
Willow/Janet said...: April would be better for me, too. Uruguay is sounding more and more fun! Just spending some days working together with all the great stuff we find there would do it for me...; 4/9/12, 12:00 AM
Willow/Janet said...: Oops, didn't read carefully--I see that April doesn't work well for you, FanciWoman. Whatever gets decided I'll just go from there.; 4/9/12, 12:03 AM