Monday, May 17, 2010

Hmmm

When I paint, I have 2 rags that I use to wipe off my brushes and palette knives. The two I have been using for about 2 years now are:

#1. A dish towel from my great grandmother. My grandmother doesn't like to let things go to waste so when my great grandmother passed away, she sent me her dish towels. Being the sentimental sap that I am, I wanted to keep them but didn't really have a need for more dish towels. So I put it to good use, in that it's always around me when I'm doing what I love and keeps her at my side.

#2. A tank top that I wore on the day I made the Roller Derby team in RI after 3 months of playing... which is also the day I broke my ankle and had to quit roller derby. I had written in Sharpie marker my derby name (Dee Vine Proportions) and my number (the golden ratio).

I put meaning into silly things... and sometimes I allow that internal meaning to guide my decision making. We humans are strange creatures, don't you think?

It's time to retire these two rags... since they're all crusty with dried paint. I can't bring my self to throw them out yet. I think I'll keep them for a little bit longer. I hung them on a couple open nails in my walls and for some reason they looked like they could be a part of some super deep existential gallery exhibit. Don't you think? Maybe I have my new series of painting sitting before my eyes ;)


5 comments:

Sherry said...

I am going to bet you never part with your "installation", too many memories.

I have a jar, as most metalsmiths do, filled with bit of sterling to send off to be recycled for credit.

But, it has been 5 years now, and I cannot part with the hundreds of snippets of silver. They're all part of something that became something else.

xoSherry

Erin said...

Yes yes!! Paint these! That would be so great. An ode to your grandmother and to you:)

-Don said...

My vote would be to keep both - maybe paint them someday, or turn them into a work of art - maybe save them for that existential show...

I still have my lab coat-turned painting smock from my freshman year of college when I only weighed 140 lbs soaking wet. It no longer fits across my shoulders - much less anywhere else, but still hangs on a hook in the garage. There are too many cool memories associated with it to ever allow it to go away in my lifetime. I now schmeer my excess paint on extra canvasses and turn them into finished. This way I only use about 1 paper towel for every 2-3 paintings. It's "green" and better yet, it's fun...

-Don

Amanda Russian said...

I think it would make a great painting series....looking forward to it

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

I've got stuff like that, too. And look at how cool they look hanging there! I could definitely see them as one of your paintings!