. . . previewed bright colors

Above is a picture of the brightly colored woven canvas piece that I have more or less completed. It is highly-textured, but the woven strips are still evident. I mostly used just paint on this piece, except for one piece of paper that I attached. I also used stencils, stamps and other mark-making tools.


Yesterday I went to an auction of household goods. I had noticed the house for the years I had lived in this community. . . it was an old stately white-columned almost-mansion surrounded by crappy development: strip malls, car washes, gas stations, etc. I didn't realize that someone still actually lived there. The lady died at age 105; according to the auctioneer, the house had been built right after the Civil War and the lady had lived there from sometime after WWII. Her granddaughter said that she was the first female antique dealer in the county, as well as one of the first people to serve Meals on Wheels.


The first place I always go when I attend sales is the basement and the garage, barn, or other outbuildings. The most interesting things are gathered there, as far as I'm concerned. There were boxes and boxes of the most fascinating rusty old tools and other things that were not readily identifiable to me. A very nice older gentleman told me the uses of various things such as the "male neutering device" (for farm animals, not people) and old house jacks that I thought would make great lamps or sculptural pieces except they were very heavy.


I don't know why I went to the auction. . . I have no money to spend and I have no need to add to my stuff. . . curiosity would be the only reason. I didn't need pretty glass serving pieces with matching tea cups; I didn't need embroidered linens and gorgeous flowered and feathered hats from years ago. I didn't want the dozens of lamps that ranged from sickly sweet to mid-century modern. While the amazing four-poster canopy bed would have looked fabulous almost anywhere, I have more beds that I need. And the floor-to-ceiling casework, the secretaries and breakfronts and bookcases, were amazing, too. But most of all I didn't want to wait around for hours while the auctioneer sold canning jars and chicken feeders.


So here's what I bought, each for $5 or less: a box full of small tin molds (to use as stamps and for texture in my paintings, and to give to the babies to play with); a huge white textured heavy tablecloth (to use for Thanksgiving dinner on one of the tables); and a very old mirror in a heavily carved white frame (I thinks it's gesso and it's in perfect condition. . . to give to my mom for her birthday next month.) Did I need these things? Probably not, but I can always justify art stuff and gifts.