watercolor in old book - 4" x 6"a couple of weeks ago i started working in an old book titled 'gold dust'. i bought it at an antique mall last april when i was in virginia, but according to the writing inside it had an earlier life in west virginia. most of the pages are stained with age (many brown blobs like the one above the mermaid), and there's pencil scribbling throughout.
the cover... everything about this book makes you sigh with delight.
the inside back cover: hazel r. smith, maitland, WV, october 3, 1919. of course i wonder if it was hazel's child that so profusely wrote/scribbled on the pages! i put the lotus there...
oh! something that i've been meaning to say since i came back from my blog break is that i've been drawing with my right and left hand for a few months. after years of only drawing with my nondominant (left) hand, it just stopped seeming important to me. it's interesting because now i sometimes find myself picking up the pencil and drawing with my left hand without any conscious thought; something has switched around in my brain or my habits - or both. but mostly i'm drawing with my right hand.
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“Art Criticism is to artists as ornithology is to birds.”
~ Barnett Newman, via tumblr
That cover is so beautiful Lynne...I would have bought that book just for its cover!!! I really love the childs scribbling/story inside too. A well loved book by the look of things.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how things that were once important just dont seem so important anymore.
Another beautiful mermaid swimming in your book.
Jacky xox
Lovely magical pages. :) That's interesting about your hands, I wonder if you think more about the image if you use your dominant hand to draw?
ReplyDeleteJess xx
Lynne - what a find - I love this book. And since I've had some time in WV as well - Maitiand is near Welch WV - very much a coal mining area. I'm sure in 1919 - this book was treasured. I love that you now have it and mermaids and wood nymphs will soon grace the pages.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that your brain doesn't have a dominant hand anymore -
xxoo
You are remarkable.
ReplyDeleteHope the healing is going well. Much Love !
PS Love the Quote !!! Will share !
yummy post, love the foxed pages... with the scribbles, been putting those pages in my italian collages too...
ReplyDeletewonderful mermaid and of course, i adore the quote...
rewired the brain didja? wonder how it will manifest in the rest of your life? xoxo
have to agree with caterina, the foxing is lending a lot of character to the pages. if it were me i'd be stitching around those little imperfections of process. nice touch to have some many hands touching this book...will you keep it is tack - many future generations of hands will alter it even more...cheers
ReplyDeleteLove the mermaid and the book! Wow, interesting find!
ReplyDeleteI'll be happy to accept the kisses.
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted in your new bodies that are swimming with your sublime faces now. What a perfect book to use as your vehicle. What a treasure it will become.
xoxo Kim
I love the aging quality of the book and it's slightly deco cover. and the scribbling just adds to it.
ReplyDeletegreat quote by Newman, gave me quite a chuckle!
I bet all that drawing with non dominant hand has truly changed something in the brain structure. If changing habitual thoughts can create new neural pathways, goodness knows what changing hands does. I suspect you are using more grey matter than most of us!! Of course we knew this anyway without any science!!
right or left.....it's all beautifully done
ReplyDeletetake care
Ahhhhh! Floating between left and right. Sounds lovely! It looks like a beautiful book to work in. Love your floaty green being, too.
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xoxoxo
oh yes, you had me at the cover ;-)
ReplyDeleteso beautiful~
the older arts, handcrafted arts have always had my heart.
and this quote you share! that is exactly how i feel~
sending a warm smile into your day~
These sorts of books are so hard to resist-the way the covers are done, and the little incidental details such as scribbles and drawings. I have a book that has a sketch of what looks like an early 20th century teacher or governess-maybe done in the boredom of an afternoon lesson. The most recent book I bought of this type is called 'Dream Days' by Kenneth Graham. It is a hundred years old and was in my local charity shop for £1.50! I couldn't leave it there!
ReplyDeleteInteresting to hear about your move to both hands and how it is natural for you to use either now.
left hand to right hand and back again, what an intriguing thought. xxoo, sus
ReplyDeleteHi Lynne, what a gorgeous book! Really love all the scrbbling inside. I have a book from my childhood, that my brothers and me scribbled in. It is a book of short stories,puzzles, riddles etc. and we loved it. The scribbles I'm afraid to say, don't look very artistic! Very interesting about your hands, Spoookeee. Love your lovely, gentle, floating mermaids oxox
ReplyDeleteYou really got me going this time, art friend! Here's what happened when I read this post: http://thefairyyellowbugqueen.blogspot.ca/2012/04/pink-tears.html
ReplyDeleteYou inspire me, no end! Love your work, love your philosophy. *smiles* Norma
Hey Lynne
ReplyDeleteOMG, so you've got a little gem of an old book too, oh yes...it a lovely book :) I so love your characters that grace these pages...and I smiled when I read that your mind now tricks you into thinking your left hand is your 'real' dominant hand...but nope it's not. I really think that is kind of cool. Paint on, draw on left or right...I love it all!!1 :)
you
ReplyDeletemake me sigh
with
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light!
I have forgotten you were making your art with the non-dominant hand. Wow, you did that for a long time too.
ReplyDeleteThat old book is wonderful!! That's one of my favorite things to browse through when I go to antique stores. Your fishy person is awesome. : )