last week i was down on long island. every may i have this sort of homecoming. i go down to long island, ny to work with a crew of amazing snowboarders to get their feedback on the product we are developing for the upcoming season.often, i also have the opportunity to see some friends i have known for almost 20 years to go back to parts of the island where i grew up.
Monday night, i stood on the ocean, on the edge of the beach at twilight; the waves lapped at my feet. the ocean were calling me. if i did not have a company dinner waiting for me, i probably would have leaped into the water and transformed into an undine. i miss living where the land meets the water. i miss the ocean.
close up: waiting for me
close up: waiting for me
waiting for me: close up
close up: waiting for me
maybe this is why today, i have been able to finish two new pieces inspired by sailor's valentines. "everthine" and "waiting for me." perhaps the salt is still on my skin and in my hair, i can still hear ocean calling me, all the way up here in the mountains. i can still feel the wind blowing through your hair. if you ever lived near the water you will know exactly how i feel. if not, perhaps my new sailor's valentines can evoke the sad melancholy the ocean brings to me....
yes, i am a space cadet. for some BIZARRE reason, i thought the deadline for the Sailor's Valentine challenge for CPS, was on the 15th. i was so excited, i had mapped out my hectic life, first i would get the art hop up on Friday, then spend all day Saturday and Sunday making my submission and send in my photos just in time. but as my luck would have it, i had the submission date wrong (yes, i am a space cadet.) it was on the 8th.
the finished pieces is still drying and i am peeling glue from my fingers as i type. and i am really happy with what i created. too bad for CPS, because, i really created a unique, haunting piece. oh, well, so much for best made plans.
i felt so inspired this weekend. it was great to work with my colleagues to put up a great show at Burton and then spend all day saturday checking out all sorts of amazing work up and down pine street.
i met an incredibly talented woman, Beth Robinson, who makes eerie steam punk inspired dolls. they are so haunting and strange.i really enjoyed seeing them in person. and got to see my neighbor and friend jackie mangione in her new studio at the soda plant. by the end of the day i was exhausted by so jonesing to get my materials out and make something.
so, i've been painting background pages and prepping a set of trays for another group of assemblages. i hope i can keep my muse in my heart this week. it's been a while since i have had this sort of spark. and it feel pretty dang good!
I've been thinking about making something for the CPS sailor's valentine challenge this weekend. so with the wheels in my mind turning I've been doing some research about what exactly they are and how I can create some with my little twist.
Sailor's Valentines
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A sailors' valentine is a type of antiquesouvenir, or sentimental gift, originally brought home from a sailor's voyage at sea for his loved one between 1830 and 1890. Sailor valentines are typically octagonal, glass fronted, hinged wooden boxes ranging from 8" to 15" in width, displaying intricate symmetrical designs composed entirely of small sea shells of various colors glued onto a backing. Patterns often feature a centerpiece such as a compass rose or a heart design, hence the name, and in some cases the small shells are used to spell out a sentimental message.
Although the name seems to suggest that the sailors themselves made these objects, a large number of of them originated in the island of Barbados, which was an important seaport during this period. Historians believe that the women there made the valentines using local shells, or in some cases with shells imported from Indonesia, and then the finished products were sold to the sailors.
Today, antique sailors' valentines are collectibles, valued for their beauty and unusual qualities. Collector interest has sparked a resurgence in sailors' valentines as an art form, and shell kits and patterns are now sold at craft shops.
Spent a few hours this weekend, surfing the web for shells and nautical bits to use with my collection on old things to construct my entry. The web searching sent me into my own workroom to clean and re-organize. Not quite finished with the overhaul yet, but I did fins me pretty pink shells that I want to work with and lots of collage paper to make into ephemera packs.
I've also heard through the grape vine that Somerset Studio is doing an Alice in Wonderland theme challenge as well. I suppose I should check into that as well, especially since last weekend was our Mad Hatter, Merry Un-birthday party. Waiting for my brother in law to send over some more pix.
