"Altared Days"

 

"Altared Days"
Last Fall, around the time of "Day of The Dead"  I made 2 of these altars,  The first one was titled Altared Nights was posted on this blog earlier, and can be seen here.
This sweet piece is made inside a mahogany drawer found at the flea market, the front columns are made from the wood of a vintage child's crutch. The inside of the drawer is covered in hand made paper and in the center is a glittery image of the Our Lady of Guadalupe, holding silver stars in her hands. At her feet are clear glass marbles, and the rose is a diadora cedar cone, I found in my back yard. Glow in the dark lighting bolts line the inside of the drawer.
Religious altars are made by people from Mexico and much of Latin America. They are made to honor their faith in god and in their saint of choice. The very poor and faithful find ways to create things of beauty from nothing or very little. Altars are not special because of the cost of the things they are made from, rather they are valuable because of what they represent.

Circles Squared

"Circles Squared"
   Inspiration for this wall hung piece came from one done by Catherine Nash titled "Circles Can't Be Squared". In it she used a beautiful vintage square as the anchor to her piece, and you can see it here .
   A lid from a wooden box is the frame that contain all the parts:  a vintage metal square, a piece of a vintage level, the cross bar of a table leg, a wooden triangle with an amber marble reminds me of the all-seeing eye. The bottom circles piece came from one of those revolving spice racks. Inside the circles are marbles, coins, dice and a round metal filigree piece found on one of my walks. A piece of glass covers the circles, allowing the pieces to move freely inside. The background is vintage measuring tape.

"My Not So Still Life"

I was thinking about all the things in life that fill our days. At times, the minutiae seems insignificant, but in reality, these are the details that add depth and character and color to our lives.

This assemblage is created in a mahogany knife box, covered in New York ‘stock exchange’ paper, reflecting the results of the day. The collection includes a small wind-up music box, a skeleton key, a vintage fishing lure, and a small wooden fish. A glass cigar tube contains marbles and dice that move freely inside the tube. Very fun! (click on image to enlarge)

Dilemmas of Life

"Dilemmas of Life"
Constructed in a vintage calibrated weight tray, and framed under glass, this assemblage mirrors the dichotomies of life. Bits and pieces of the good, the wondrous and the illusive. Includes things like marbles, buttons, mahjong tile, coins, a cross, a hand in a shell casing the head of a wooden rooster, and yes, teeth. Some of the pieces move within the space that contains them, making he box somewhat interactive. The piece can be laid flat on a table or hung on a wall.4"x13"x1½ "  (click on image to enlarge)