The Two Donnas

There's a tiny little town just west of Dodgeville. Last census has the total inhabitants at 173. There's really not much to it- sort of the place if you blink, you might drive past it. Lucky for me, I didn't blink as I was driving through on my way to Prairie du Chien. I stumbled upon the most wonderful junk shop- called the Two Donnas. I'm actually not sure if that is really still the name. The wonderland of thrift is now owned by two men from Madison. who periodically open their doors to peddle their curiosities and vintage items.

This shop has a flea market, yard sale vibe. We some super cheap prices to boot. The kind of shop that might be featured in Mary Randolph Carter's book American Junk. Carter's book, is an fantastic survey of year's of collecting. She's been doing the "shabby chic" and "flea market decorating" long before it was mainstream and cool. This is one of my favorite books about collecting.

The Two Donnas are only open every third week of the month. Or on the off occasion, the "guys" feel like trekking 50 minute out of the capital.


No matter, I'll be there next time they open their doors, I had great fun digging through it all, spent $13 and came home with a bounty of "stuff" to make more art with.

Heaven.

Rosebud

So I was looking for a name for my new piece and I was reminded this morning, by my dear friend Mia Troy, about Rosebud. The single word whispered by Charles Foster Kane, the enigma, the mystery that propels the movie, Citizen Kane,  forward.

Via Wikipedia: (The reporter )"Thompson finds that he is unable to solve the mystery and concludes that "Rosebud" will forever remain an enigma. He theorizes that "Mr. Kane was a man who got everything he wanted, and then lost it. Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get, or something he lost." In the ending of the film, it is revealed to the audience that Rosebud was the name of the sled from Kane's childhood – an allusion to the only time in his life when he was truly happy. The sled, thought to be junk, is burned and destroyed in a basement furnace by Xanadu's departing staff."

Very appropriate for a piece that was assemblage from "junk" found at an estate sale...

So now, she is Rosebud.