Saturday, January 30, 2010

No Time in the Workshop

SOVA Scream, digital photo

While photographing the snow earlier today, I noticed this ready-made--my hat atop a folding clothes rack. Photo OP! I removed the background and cloned the light bulb.


Looking at seven inches of snow from the upstairs' bathroom window, I realized the short walk to the workshop would require boots! (It's the second building on the left; the first is a small guest house.) Everything is white, including our red tin roof. The lake, though, is mud-colored.


Not a great week; my husband had back surgery on Monday--we left the house at 5:45 AM-- and he came home on Tuesday. I have not turned into Nurse Ratched yet; I prepared for this by ordering watercolor sticks and I've been playing in the house. I also experimented with walnut ink (matches my floor) and a walnut stick. What's the advantage of a walnut stick over a pick-up stick and a q tip?


Nice things happened, too. Our next-door neighbor brought chili, cornbread and cookies this morning and there was a sweet potato pie tied to my front door knob yesterday. Does Botero need an older zaftig model?

18 comments:

  1. SOVA Scream is cool. You know you have a bright idea when it's multiplied 3 times...

    Nurse Ratchet is ok, just don't turn into the Kathy Bates character from "Misery". I hope your husband recovers quickly and may he be free of pain.

    Mmmm... chili and cornbread on a snowy day. Can't get much better than that.

    -Don

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  2. Hi Don. I forgot about scary Kathy Bates, another role model.

    Talking the builder into installing about 12 of those lights upstairs was not easy. It's loft-like and small; I wanted the simplicity of pulling a string wherever I needed light--they work well and are easy to change.

    Dave's surgery was not major; he got a titanium X Stop implant in the lower spine, a relatively new procedure. Hopefully, it will alleviate the pain of stenosis--he's able to walk around the house so I avoided nurse duty.

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  3. Hi Hallie - so sorry to hear about your husband's surgery and hope that he mends quickly. Your neighbors are precious, and my mouth is watering over the food descriptions! I suspect that your sense of humor prevents you from being the nurse from h-ll, and that your husband is lucky to have you!

    "SOVA Scream" is whimsical, well-constructed, and - most of all - memorable. You ARE unique, skilled, and original and that's the most an artist can hope for.

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  4. Your photo is just so quirky, so artful, so... YOU!! I absolutely love it. You amaze me- how you see and frame ideas and concepts.
    Sometimes the threat of Nurse Ratched is enough to motivate the "patient" to behave! : ))
    Sounds like you have wonderful neighbors. Can't wait to see what you do with your new toys.
    Here's wishing you and hubby peaceful and swift healing.

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  5. Thanks Kathy. I've always suspected that humor and sadness are separated by just a couple of degrees. I can laugh or cry--flip a coin. My neighbors are the best!

    Pam. Quirky? Years ago a critic described my sculptures as quirky--it seems to fit. I think I see characters in objects because I'm still that child finding shapes in the clouds. Thanks for the good wishes (this too will pass).

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  6. mmmmm...love sweet potato pie!
    Best of good health and healing to your husband.
    Nice snow pics :) and the 'sculpture' is reminding me of something....oh, I know, the Magritte painting with the guy in the hat, I think there's an apple in it...Do you know which one I mean?

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  7. Hi Indigomar. When I was writing the blog, I was going to mention Magritte. I googled him and looked at that painting; other than the hat I didn't see much resemblance--his was a suit, a hat and an apple. I thought I might be recalling the wrong artist, sculpture, or painting. Definitely reminds me of something.

    With a man's hat it would probably look like an Hasidic from NY or Amish--next time; maybe a Mr. and Mrs.

    Thanks for the good health wish--he seems better.

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  8. So you live by a lake and have a separate,nice looking studio! AND a guest house that could be a get away for cranky old nurses that want to paint instead of being a nurse!

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  9. Yes, Sue. The guest house is a B&C, though, not a B&B--bed & coffee; I don't do breakfast. And, right now, you need to be a contortionist to walk through the workshop.

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  10. Hoping you husband is doing great after his surgery. We are fortunate to live in an age where there are so many medical advances! I love what you wrote in your comment: "I've always suspected that humor and sadness are separated by just a couple of degrees"..it made me think of my Mom, who had a very difficult life..but she was perpetually funny. It was her coping mechanism. She didn't like people who were "too serious" and I agree with her. Your hat and clothes rack are quite beautiful, whimsical and poignant. All of which is supported by your narrative.

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  11. Hallie, hunker down and hope that your hubbie gets well quickly. No fun being a caregiver. Love the quirky sculpture -- it's really you! What an imagination -- can I borrow some?

    Stay warm and I look forward to see your in-house production work.

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  12. Thanks, Celeste. My husband's doing well, thank you--he's one of those "serious" people. Today is our 47th anniversary; I was 20 and from the South; he was 29 and from NJ; married at DC Criminal Court on payday. We had nothing in common and little money. Humor is a necessity; tolerance and space are important, too.

    Mary, thanks. I like household objects that are fun; there's a duck broom in the guest house. The problem is my guests think it's sculpture and are afraid to touch it; they come in and borrow my ergonomic broom--it has a curved handle and looks like a wall sculpture.

    I performed out-house work today; I shoveled around the back door (shady spot) so I could get to the trash cans. I hope to play with my new toys later.

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  13. I'm late in my response Hallie - just too busy with my renovations. Your sculpture is precious. It made me look closely and laugh. I think you're right about the few degrees of separation between laughter and tears(or other variations). I wish your husband a speedy recovery. From past experiences I know the value of good neighbours in the hard times.

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  14. Hi Margaret. Renovations are a bit like surgery--tough to get through. You're right about the importance of neighbors; ours are first-rate. We're the Commerce Street Gang.

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  15. Hi Hallie,
    I hope you and your husband are doing well! I wish your husband a good and healthy recovery! Back problems...such a pain!

    I love your photo! It reminds me of the very clever commercial on TV where they see smiles in all sorts of inanimate objects. I love the double meanings and visual puns. So wonderful to find them ready made!

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  16. Hi Peggy. Yes, back problems are a pain.

    My hat hung on this rack for a least a month and I thought it looked like a tall skinny person. I didn't realize it had a face until I moved it around to catch the light from the window. I think I had the same expression when I saw the snow.

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  17. I love the first photo - it looks like a Magritte!

    The second is so interesting. It must be such a different view - so stark - than you are used to seeing. I think it is interesting that the only color is from the mud colored lake.

    Best of wishes to your husband for a swift recovery (of course, I'm a bit late in commenting - so maybe he's well by now. I hope so.)

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  18. Dan, thanks for the wishes. Dave is doing well.

    I guess I could have called the second shot through the window "No Shadow Saturday." I enjoy the "Shadow Shot Sundays" on your blog.

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