Flotsam, Jetsam and Lagan

The color turquoise reminds me of the ocean which is, of course, a fantasy:
... nereids, Triton, dolphins.... Atlantis....way down below the ocean....

For over twenty years my handmade paper shell assemblages and cards have been given titles such as Melusine's Delight, Undine's Treasure, Nereids Domain, Dancing with Eurynome. In my mind I see visions of underwater archaeology — the search for ancient sunken amphoras and other treasures or



the Bimini Road. No doubt some of this comes from a conglomeration of remembered images of The Incredible Mr. Limpet and Seahunt from childhood, with Jacques Cousteau documentaries and a wee bit of Homer a few years later!














In reality, the ocean I'm most familiar with is less exotic teal blue, or murky gray-blue on cloudy days. But turquoise is also the color of two of the most common found objects on the beach: nylon rope and beach glass. The best quality of nylon rope for my art projects is the oldest, most worn piece I can find. It makes and excellent representation of seaweed on the assemblages with the paper shells and I find other uses for it, as well. Living several hundred miles from the nearest ocean beach, I stocked up on supplies of nylon rope, driftwood, beach stones, and glass on my last summer holiday back home.














Turquoise also means verdigris, whether it's a salt and vinegar treatment on copper sheet metal or natural (I keep the 'good' —i.e. really rotten— pennies for artwork). If I can't have ancient encrusted coins and amphora shards from underwater archaeological sites, I can at least try to create patinas on things
I have at hand.














When bits and pieces of these found treasures are combined with beads, aged copper pieces and other trinkets, I have a collection of my 'comfort colors'. It's a combination I never tire of and I can think of a multitude of items to create with the elements like covers for hand bound books, art dolls and jewelry (although, no jewels are ever involved).

Which brings me to the reason for this blog post: I found a gold anchor charm on the street last week. I suspect some sort of omen or symbolism could be attached to that....

This inspiration for an ocean related project had me sorting through the 'Atlantis' treasures for a couple of things to go with the anchor — a starfish charm, a tiny sand dollar, a henk of worn nylon rope and a bead made of recycled glass. Quite a while ago I ordered some tiny glass bottles from
Papier Valise. They're big enough to fill with special secret 'stuff' but small enough to use as charms. Once filled, I ran a doubled length of silk yarn through the hole in the plastic stopper and tied it around the lip to secure it. To hang it I chose colors of silk yarn to match my favorite art photographs. There was gold, chestnut brown, and blue to represent the landscapes, charcoal and off white for the black and white photographs and of course a lovely sepia color. The strand had to have knots tied at intervals to keep it together and the knotted loose ends made a nice tassel. Lastly, I used a length of worn nylon rope to tie on the glass bead.














The anchor really does it's work just like a real one, it hooks onto everything! It's come unattached twice, 'anchored' to fabric but I found it both times. I finally secured it with double rings.

Replacement

Do you have a favorite paintbrush that's been around for a long time? Mine is fairly short, not too thin, comfortable to hold. It's a hard-working one that I've had for.... a very long time.... 20 or 25 years. I've looked after it well and it's been good to me but some things don't last forever.

After I moved my studio to a new place and unpacked everything, I didn't get back to artwork for quite a while. The first small projects didn't require paint so I didn't realize that most of my brushes weren't around any more. The longtime, dependable favorite was there, thankfully.













On spending more time creating art, the shortcomings of my only brush became noticeable for the first time. Odd, how when you lose the many, the flaws of the few become more visible. Sadly, I need something better. It's natural hair bristles are nowhere near as long as they used to be and the paint on the handle is cracking and flaking off. I hate the thought of tossing it away.... I've had it for such a long time but truthfully, I don't know how much longer it will last.












I've casually looked at one that might be an adequate replacement but have only been 'considering' so far. Nice natural bristles, it's longer and looks gorgeous! You have to hold it a little differently so it seems strange and would take getting used to. As with all possible new things in my life, whether it's a new ottoman for the living room or a coat in my favorite clothing store, I 'visit' it a few times before I decide. As nice as this new one is, it isn't perfect, so is the cost worth it? What if isn't quite what I want or need? By the time I decide it will probably be gone.

For now, I'll look for replacements for what I lost: a new liner brush (my second 'best friend' in the studio), a 'bright' and a 'filbert'. The name – filbert – sounds like fun, a brush you'd use to create something wonderful – a playful, happy little piece of art. And who wouldn't want anything called 'bright'.

It's difficult, though. The same as buying new shoes; first you have to like them, then they have to fit.



Today's horoscope:
Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
The world works in threes. Stories tell
of three wishes, three magic words or
three tests to attain a major reward. Be
vigilant and don't leap at the first option
that comes your way. Weigh all choices
carefully.