January 9, 2009

the art of longing

I was inspired by the vintage chair today when she asked what are ten things you cannot live with out. In thinking about that - beyond the obvious stuff like my camera equipment and car, I started thinking about the things I have of my parents.

My mom was an artist - even though she would pish-saw that definition as she thought her talent was more in reproduction. Back in the days, she was fantastic at ceramics - even winning blue ribbons at the fair. I do not have any of those pieces though I love to visit my aunt who has a ceramic cat my mom painted. My mom could look at almost anything and draw/paint it. So, when I gave her this funky mother's day card, she immediately painted the angel on it.

family

Also in the shot you will see a photograph of my parents and me when I was about three months old. One the back of the photograph is my great-grandmother's writing telling my mom she will have a larger shot sent later. I have no clue if it was ever sent. You will see a book given to my parents when they married called "Whom God Hath Joined" and the copyright is dated 1953. It has an unknown signature inside with the year 1956. I think that's the pastor's signature. There is also the needlepoint pillow top that I worked on during mom's different surgergies for cancer. I haven't picked it up since she passed in November 2006. I still need to take it to be stretched and turned into a pillow. Finally there is a pot of tiny irises in a white concrete container that I found for a steal ($5).

What I couldn't carry outside are two pieces of furniture that I cherish - ones my father built from scratch. My favorite is a china cabinet that I picked out of the ethan allen catalog and my dad built as a wedding present. The other is a chest that sits at the foot of my bed that my dad built. There is my grandmother's china - it's simple really, white with a silver band.

These things I cherish and treasure.

Earlier today I posted a tribute to one of my favorite surrealist authors, Cooper Edens. He seems more widely known lately for his children's books - but, I have some of his out of print work called "With Secret Friends" and "The Art of Longing". I love his illustrations and his quiet poetry.

cooper edens

And finally...the tiny irises. Just because I loved them today. I hope you do too.

iris

11 comments:

  1. What a beautiful thought provoking post... hmmm I think I might be inspired by you to post similar lines of rhetoric...

    I just love L.O.V.E the iris photo...

    ReplyDelete
  2. so much love here. That's a good question to think about - what are 10 things you can't live without? - i need to ponder that a little while.
    like you, my mom is an artist and my dad also builds furniture. Much of my house is furnished with his craftsmanship as well as my mom's paintings. Those things would definitely be on my list.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those tiny iris are just lovely! In fact, this whole post was lovely :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is so beautiful! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Such lovely imges.... & such heartfelt reveries...!! love this! makes me ponder about things i can't live without!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very nice post, indeed. Thanks for the comment on my Queen Mary photo--and, yes, we did take a tour on board but didn't stay in the hotel overnight. I loved the wall showing the 25 different hardwoods from around the world that were used on surfaces and decor throughout the ship. Just an amazing vessel--wish I could have taken a voyage in her glory years!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful photos, and what lovely thoughts for a post...

    ReplyDelete
  8. hmmm... deep thoughts. yes, i adore irises as well. they are just so pretty in the house.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi, I came over from VioletSky and I really like your writings and photography. I need to learn more about my camera. Most of my good shots are accidental.

    I'll be back to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lovely pix. I like your explanation of the things you hold dear. And the photo of you and your parents is really interesting. The flowers are a nice smile-inducer :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love your collages of images and memories. And the photo of you so tiny! That's very sweet.

    And the detail on the irises... swoon.

    ReplyDelete

i feel as if each comment was between us as we sat and sipped something warm....i love to hear what you're thinking.