The Old Marble Sink

Reconstructing the past....

I love old things..... I love the feel of old things...... I love finding new life for old things.... And they are usually made of solid long lasting materials. They are real.....
We decided to take this collection of things and turn them into something beautiful..... Everything that makes up this old sink is salvaged and was no longer in any productive use.....
We found the marble sink portion in a salvage shop in Halifax, NS. .......


The legs....2 old newel posts, that are used upside-down, with the top 10" cut off, saved and used for another project, we bought at an auction in Springfield, NB with several other mismatched posts, several years earlier..... Then sometime in the intervening years we salvaged old baseboards from a half-tumbled down house from nearby Hillsdale, NB.

The sink had a minor stain on it but I thought it just added to its character, besides it never affected its function whatsoever. It even had a tall 9" back splash. The original porcelain sink was still partially attached to it with old corroded brass bolts. We felt so lucky to have come across it. We scrubbed it and since we didn't know how to drill holes in marble we had 2 holes drilled at a machine shop in Sussex, for the new fixtures. We figure most of the pieces used in putting this sink back into useful life are from the mid-1800's. ( note: We always ask permission before salvaging and pay what is asked.)


For the underskirt, we used the  reverse side of the baseboard, which was in beautiful condition... drew the scalloped designs along the edge... drilled holes for the circles ... cut the shapes out with a jigsaw. Then painted it all a creamy white. I love this pattern..... we used it to repeat the pattern that we made for our homes outside window trim and several other areas of the house for cohesiveness and flow.

Every morning when I wake up and splash water on my face, I appreciate the beauty of the past...... and feel very lucky.

The Man from the Paper

This was done a few years ago, in 2003.... We had been quite intense at building our house & I guess I just needed a bit of a break, doing something completely different from hammering shingles, building cupboards, devising ways to incorporate our old salvaged finds, ordering materials, making jewelry, taking orders & shipping jewelry, etc... the list was unending & so was the workload. Go till you drop then get up & do the same the next day.

We knew that this particular day had to have some "down time". Down Time was not in our vocabulary at that point in our lives.... this house was already taking too long to build..... No time to play.... Just head down & nose to the grindstone. It felt like we had set ourselves up with a never ending project......

Anyway.... downtime....

At first it seemed rather strange not being actively engaged in necessary work of some kind.... As a matter of fact, it took till 4:00 in the afternoon for my mind to let go & feel free....
It was then, that this fellow looked out at me from the newspaper & after staring at him for a while I nervously found a pencil & some paper & began to draw. Once I started I couldn't stop. Then I added some washes. I was so totally absorbed that a few hours went by in a flash & when I looked up it was dark out...... I only wish I had used a heavier paper as the painting buckled when it dried. Just the same.......................... What a release!!!!!!

I keep this pinned to my studio wall....... To this day when I look at him I still feel revitalized..... and I don't even know his name.

approx. 16" x 20" unfortunately on cartridge paper

The Sunset

Sunsets are magical and appear, it seems, from nowhere.... change suddenly and without warning....
Now you see them.... now you don't..... Turn your gaze for a moment and they may have vanished.... They wait for no one...

Moving, bouncing and reflecting color across the sky.... creating a fleeting visual display that spellbinds.

They feel right to be painted Wet on Wet.

I love painting in this manner. It feels natural. Splashing color ... quickly..... moving it... just like a sunset.

approx. 2¼" x 3¾" on 140 lb arches watercolor paper

Self Portrait

Playing with my watercolor...... doing a little analyzing of facial features.

They are so identifiable to each individual.

Thought I would experiment on myself for now.

approx. 5" x 7" on 300 lb. arches watercolor paper

Embellishment #4

Lime green, irregular shaped, Indian glass & semi-precious stone, Amethyst tear drop combined with Sterling wrapped wire & copper beads on Sterling Shepherd hooks.

Decidedly Classic.

approx. 2" long ... $50.00 sold

When Are We Going?

It is hard to wait.....

but most of the time they are pretty patient. Our 3 little black dogs, Tabitha, Toby & Pirate, who came to us by happenstance & livened everything up.

They are such wonderful companions. Always ready to go for a walk , to keep you company, to sit on your knee, go for a drive, lick your face, chase the ball, watch for the squirrel, do a trick for a treat......

& Best of all ...... make you feel like you are the most important person in the world.

Who couldn't love a dog?

William Morris

William Morris...... A watercolor I worked on arches 140 lb cold pressed paper...

Morris' talents were vast... Designer, writer, poet, architect, pattern-maker, painter, social activist, the Arts & Crafts movement, hand craftsmanship, the Kelmscott Press, the Kelmscott Chaucer , tapestry revival, jewelry, stained glass, etc. etc. etc........ He was forever dedicated to quality craftsmanship and beauty.

He did not discriminate between craftsman and artist... to him they were one, on a level playing field.   He felt they should be treasured, valued and encouraged.

His influence was far reaching.

He has always inspired me......

A true Artist..... William Morris (1834-1896) English artist, writer, textile designer and socialist.

....see here for a few William Morris designs...

approx. 5" x 7"

Crow #3

Another old crow perched on a branch.......... Can't get enough of them.

But it seems that I can never observe them, up close, for as long as I would like. They are always so cautious & wary. Maybe that is why I am ever watchful for them as I have never yet got my fill.

...... need to start painting some going the other direction, or flying or pecking or play fighting or ........

approx. 2" x 3" on arches 140lb watercolor paper

Hope

In this pendant the large silver dome symbolizes the world... coming out of chaos.

............It is called "Hope"...........




Chaos and texture ... formed from sterling silver and copper manipulated with the torch and the hammer....

The primitive nature of the piece... is something I aim for... the more raw and earthy.. the better...




Detail of the back showing patination and signature.. I think I like the back as much as the front...





approx. 2" long Sterling Silver and Copper fragments & pieces...
.....One-Of-A-Kind... $125.00

available..Please contact me if interested


Other Desideratum Art Jewelry Pendants here on my Picasa Web Albums
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Embellishment #3

Amethyst, Labradorite, Sterling silver, copper beads, varying colors & shapes of Indian glass on Sterling shepherd hooks.

.... this and similar designs... $50.00 pr

approx. 3" long sold

The Pear

Watercolor..... "Wet on Wet".............

The spontaneity of this technique is exciting..... Gentle guiding and persuading of the colors.... watching them merge..... letting them roam,to some extent, where they please.

Sometimes losing control is fun.

approx. 4" x 5"

My Piano

This is one of my favourite things...........

It sits in the living room near the doorway that leads to the kitchen. To the left is a large 6' glass patio door. Through the glass, looking past the front garden is the Bay of Fundy, part of the Atlantic Ocean. The view out those doors changes almost constantly according to weather conditions... I'm sure anyone who has lived near the ocean knows what I mean......

The amazing cloud formations over the water.... the magnification of light from the water & sky..... the undulating fog, diffusing all.... the huge tides rising, then falling away........ leaving me lost for words.

With this beckoning, I am drawn to sit and play almost every time I pass by.

It was my grandmothers piano. It's an Amherst made in 1917.

Embellishments #2

Various shapes & sizes of tiger eye, garnet, citrine & sterling silver, make up this pair of "Embellishments"......

I feel there is an earthiness about the combination of these semi-precious materials.....

I love their movement.

approx. 3" long... $75.00   sold

The Beloved Scavenger

Crows are scavengers. Entertaining scavengers at that.......

The whole act of scavenging is entertaining and rewarding. Be it done by a crow or a human being. Being able to get what you need by seeing value in things that have been tossed away or abandoned, is something I admire...... & live by.

This collaged crow came to life from black printed advertisement pages of an old magazine. I rather liked the way the white of the paper was exposed when the paper was torn to represent the sheen of the feathers.

I guess I also like the fact that I created a "scavenging' crow from "scavenging" old magazines & it was entertaining the whole while..... plus I was rewarded with a little crow.

approx. 3½" x 4¾" on watercolor card stock

Samuel Palmer ... Inspired

A quick little study that was inspired by a Samuel Palmer self-portrait ca. 1826, he had originally done using black & white chalk on buff paper. I was trying to reproduce it, in watercolor, as it appeared in the book,"Creating a Self-Portrait" by Tom Coates.
It began to take on a life of its own & I let it go there.

I have always found that one of the most difficult things about painting, is knowing when to stop. I tried stopping 2 times & couldn't.... this was my third try.
It is OK to finish with something you had not envisioned when you started. As it is a new creation that would not have come into being, without the initial inspiration...... We should never stop being "Inspired".

approx. 4½" x 5½" on watercolor card stock with a bit of pen & ink

Simplexity #1

This is one of my newer designs ...... a pair of abstract Sterling Silver disc Earrings with fused irregular shaped pieces of silver & aqua Indian glass.

They are simplicity & complexity combined.

approx. 1½" long handmade, one of a kind... $50.00 sold

Embellishment #1

I love creating jewelry with surprise.... I love creating one of a kind pieces.... I love the thought that people wear my work, as an act of expressing themselves.... I love being part of that whole process....

I think most art is about "the process".... The whole act of creation, no matter which discipline.

My "Embellishment" series was so fun to make.... Incorporating elements, that not necessarily match but feel really good together.

approx. 3" long Sterling silver, copper, Indian glass, Turquoise ... this and similar design... $45.00   sold

Deconstructed

I loved making this series of assemblage pendants. They gave me the freedom to play while I worked.

Quite chunky...

Aimed for the feeling that this is a remnant from a past, more primitive life that has "Deconstructed"......

approx. 1 ¾" x 3" Antiqued Sterling Silver & copper $250.00 available

The Garden

Gardens... growing things... the rows of texture, color, form...

The knowledge that someone toiled to bring this into being.... the knowledge that someone cared...

The urge to linger...

Gardens are beautiful; no matter what shape or size.

The garden made me paint this little watercolor.


approx. 2" x 3 " 140 lb. arches watercolor paper

Portrait of John

This is a portrait I did of my husband John....  It is a study of values.

I have always felt that doing portraits or the human body were the most challenging for me ...  I hate to feel there is something I can not accomplish.... so for that reason I keep plodding along.

The paint is not very thick but I have found that this is the way I paint at least at the present. I was happy with the likeness.

approx. 12" x 16" acrylic on panel

Crow # 2

Another simple little pen & ink Crow, my most favourite bird again. This is an old scruffy fella that hangs around the yard, cleaning up anything the dogs leave behind. Aren't scavenger's great.
I am working on a series of these little guys, exploring different medias but keeping most of them on the miniature side.

Approx. 2" x 2¾" 140 lb. arches watercolor paper

The Beginning of the World

This chunky little one of a kind Art pendant is an amalgamation of many small pieces of sterling silver & bits of copper that were accumulating on my work table.
I don't like to waste, so I pulled them all together & piled them in a heap and kept rearranging till they felt right.... then applied the heat of the torch.... I love the vast array of texture it holds & that I ended up wasting nothing....

Surfaces and Depths... Known & Unknown... It reminded me of the chance happenstance that continues to come together to create the known, as we see it.

To me it felt as if it must have been like that in the "Beginning of the World"... Hence its name...


approx. 1 ¼" x 1¾" .... $150.00 ............please contact me, if interested

My Interpretation of a Self-Portrait by Egon Schiele

There is something that really haunts me about the work of Egon Schiele. (Naughty stuff aside) Mostly the strong sure lines. Then the way he used color..... then the way he combined subtle and delicate to create Bold.... the importance of the eyes and hands..... The expressiveness he portrayed in each painting revealed a part of his inner spirit......





He died too young......






This is "my interpretation" of a self portrait he did. I used pencil, gouache, acrylic washes and india ink.......... He keeps us company in the living room.

approx. 15" x 18"

The Sunrise

We had fog today at dawn, but 1 year ago, I awoke to this brilliant display. This sunrise almost took my breath away. Caught quickly just when the sun was breaking the horizon. This is the actual sunrise we looked upon, stretching out across the Bay of Fundy. No color enhancement or filters, just good ol' Mother Nature. Made me stop & stare. What a way to start a day. Wow....

Crow #1

Crows!

Crows are my absolutely most favorite birds. I could watch them all day and I still would not get enough of them. They are captivating. So Intelligent. So social.

I always wished I could have had a crow for a pet, but I never did.


Last spring a pair hatched 3 young ones in the tall spruce trees at the edge of the field near our home. All summer the crow family stayed around picking bugs in the grass, fighting over the fruit of the elderberry bushes and raiding the compost pile. They were ever watching.

They are  creatures of habit. If we fed them once or twice at a certain time of day, they would be around at the appointed time on the third day sitting in the trees or on the fence or on the roof, keeping a look out for more tasty morsels. We could be sure of that, unless they had made a bigger score somewhere else!


....I did this little pen and ink in December when things slowed down a bit around here. I really want to do more.


.....Pen and ink and wash on Arches 140 lb. watercolor paper 2 ¼" x 3¼" 

The Embrace

This is my first day of having a blog...

I wanted to share one of my creations..... A rather large figurative pendant....

I try to create pieces with a feeling of antiquity and wonder, yet contemporary at the same time.

I love to bring these layered sculptural body adornments to life. And what better place to create a work of art for... than the human body...


approx. 3" x 1 1/2" Sterling Silver and Copper... $250.00

... other Desideratum Art Jewelry Pendants on my Picasa Web Albums..

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