fanciful devices: Merry... New Year?

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.

12/26/13

Merry... New Year?

We've had family over and all that jazz so I've only had a few minutes here and there to sneak into the studio and play while wondering why people reproduce ever.

Here's some stuff on the work table (I have a worktable!) I took some quick shots of.

Just some work-in-progress so you don't forget me while I'm off being an aunt.

5 year-old nephew is in from Cali, showing me stuff Abuela got him.

Mom: Yeah, he got me to buy him all that.

Me: How can you say no to that face?

Nephew: It's a good face!

All kinds of shenanigans.

6 comments:

CraftyHope said...: Beautiful as always! Enjoy your New Year and whatever other shenanigans you get yourself into. :); 12/27/13, 11:37 AM
Anonymous said...: Very cool pendants. Glad to see you have electricity ;) Happy Aunting!; 12/27/13, 11:54 AM
Unknown said...: O me' GOD those crystal pieces are killer. Happy New Year if I don't talk to you before then. :) Norma, x; 12/27/13, 6:05 PM
Jenm said...: I love your improvisational jazz hands and the way they flow out the jewelry....happy new years!; 12/27/13, 9:26 PM
RaggedRobyn said...: WOW! Those crystal bits are incredible! LOVE them x; 12/29/13, 9:59 AM
martinisfor2 said...: Happy New Year! Happy Auntie Days!
Happy Shenanigans! Love the jewels!; 12/29/13, 4:41 PM