fanciful devices: Rust run amok

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.

9/2/10

Rust run amok

Never had to pickle oxidized metals. Usually, if a piece keeps darkening, it gets even better. Had an unusual effect on one set of earrings, though. It continued to oxidize even after I took the pictures. And not blacken, but rust.

Before Oxidizing:

After Oxidizing:

After a couple weeks:

Are You the River or the Thing That Makes the River's Face So Still.

I could have tried to clean it up, but I got lazy and just took new pictures. I guess they're too rusty, but I don't hate 'em.

4 comments:

Penelope said...: D'you know what I'd do? Make little soldered teeth from smoky quartz, clip half the metal mesh off and hang the teeth from that. Balances the rust. I like them this rusty but I'm a weirdo!; 9/3/10, 11:05 AM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: I love them. In fact, had my eye on them too. I love them rusty!; 9/4/10, 12:22 AM
Unknown said...: Yes, rusty is cool. Plated stuff usually rusts if exposed to a chemical solution. Can I ask what you use to oxidize?

They're a beautiful composition, the beaded rings almost like buckles for the tattered remnants.; 9/4/10, 9:56 AM
fanciful devices said...: they are buckles! thanks jenny and missf. sparrow- hu?! whu? sounds like a lotta work for someone w/o a civil engineering degree...
miss f- i use novacan.; 9/4/10, 6:52 PM