Showing posts with label shadow box. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shadow box. Show all posts

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Dear Penelope,


its the end of the shadow boxes besides maybe one for myself, which is almost an impossible task- i thought i told you about yours in all its symbolic mystery? perhaps not. patently its a juxtaposition of you. Your two natures. Lets start there. You see the figure on the top has scissors. Looking innocent possibly but up to mischief. The one below in white sits innocently by with an umbrella, prepared perhaps for whatever may come. Lets leave them for a moment though. The wood around the border is real and made up of various types. I thought of your logcabin. Your need for naturalness and symmtry. The lines in the paper curtain are an expression of that as well. Something clean and harmonious and light and pure. Ordered but fresh. This shadow box is after all a room. Beyond it is the inscruitable other of everything. If I had felt content to just represent the outside of you I would have emphasized this background aspect, would have left it clean and simply beautiful. But the representation of how I saw the internal you was much more vibrant and playful. and certainly full of magic. So back to the mischief. The events you must expand on but I can tell you the mishievious figure cut the daisy chain, which may or may not have broken out into a bit of a fire, which caused the bolt to fly into the glass that contained what appears to be a peach pit but may be something much more. It broke the glass and set the fish free (a nod to my pisces friend and her contemplation of all things aquatic, in the undulating currents and waves, and the flitting indecisiveness of how fish move, but purposeful, but directed and instinctual) Note their bright exuberant colors. And you see how the girl in white bears the calamity with such reserve and patience, possibly a tiny bit worried at the events beyond her but so solid and resolute and prepared so that no blue stuff should get upon her person. And upsprings from the broken bottle this epic figure. She alights herself upon the inkbottle at her foot and catches the bolt and fixes everything in the place it was seen hurdling from. But you see the antique autocar light isn't on, the latin inscription on the wine cork from which the light is hung is: 'let your light shine'... the internal you, never cease or stop, but continue on in this sparkling and vibrant way forever more. And it bears with the latin phrase "in omnia paratus": ready for anything/allthings...and remember rori jumping off that platform with an umbrella and being in a strange secret society? that investigative watchful side of you, the being pushed into adventure side of you, wary but secretly delighted by shenanigans... come what may sort of thing? Which is why this epic figure and all the blue seem strangely out of place in their surroundings and that its not quite right because you see, she doesn't exist in the ordinary place of things and she goes on living and breathing within you no matter how quieted down you become or however or whatever it is you find yourself doing, there she'll be. And the world now that the daisy chain has been cut will never be set quite aright again, but I think it'll be better for it, certainly more lively.
m.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Dear Penelope,


Enclosed above please find a picture of : Cath's shadow box. Its noisy yes? There was an added challenge of taking elements from her life and incorporating them. I think, though slightly hidden i am totally pleased with the story of this box. And it is quite mythical and universally seeking. We can't all have such lauded fates. The girl in the green has undergone quite a lot of peril to see that the ship (in the center of the box) which is her soul, launches and makes it across to the empty bird nest (which is from my yard and from a grapefruit tree). The box itself lives in opposition. The left side is spiritually peaceful and at rest, there is a hidden archangel michael and the girl in the green that is on the rail is saint catherine, who was a mystic. 'They might be giants' lyrics are "birdhouse in your soul"... on the right side is jezebel worshipping her false god and you see the snake entwined upon the disembodied arm, as in the middle top eve desceneds safe in Gods hand... everything surrounding the green girl with the luscious red lips is hemming her in. IN the middle one might see the beads as the course of the universe surrounding the ship amongst much debris and noise and personal mementos- still the theme is the course of the soul as it moves from a point of chaos and evil to a point of good and peace. One may hope it is the course of anylife and of Cathys.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Happy Birthday Penelope, by M

To My Darling Penelope,

Happy Birthday. This is how I see you- full of mischief and good will and your spirit rising out of some mythical place to set the balance of the world right. Your Latin phrase is a homage from the gilmoregirls "In Omnia Paratus: Ready for anything." Because you and I are part of a society of friends that only we belong. And it is something in the adventure of our lives I hope we both have occasion to rise to. There's another secret phrase in the box for you to discover.

I hope this year for you burns bright and is rich with friends, adventure and an inner flourish and nourishing of your soul and spirit. And may we continue to discover all the good things about one another- weird things, funny things... things that make us real and not imaginary, and that 31 is welcome and treats you right.

With all my love,
Mendacious.

(Having only visited Pen's house after I made the box, I realized it was a little wild and youthful for her decor, a little chaotic, busy and bright- but to me its more of her interior world and behind it is her soothing exterior of calm and order- woods, muted tones, wine corks and clean parameters. I hope she likes it.)

Sunday, January 25, 2009

To My Good Friend Sarah, by M

To think we didn't like each other when we first met. I can't tell you how awesome this girl is... cuz she's that awesome. I made this for her before I left and her latin phrase is: Alis Volat Propriis, meaning "She flies with her own wings". Because to me she is a creature cut from precious stone, unique, fierce, full of truth, wisdom and a little magic. And she is alike no other. So you know, I found it a little difficult which direction I should go, this girl of orange and green, cool and warm... but that's her I think, down to the mysterious white bunny covered in blue paint. Fly my friend, fly-fly-fly.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Shadow Box #4, by M

I've gone minimal here. This is for a November someone. Not a January someone. I'm still working on that one... but what have you. Here it is. I am not quite sure how the items will hold up to time however.


Wednesday, October 8, 2008

She liked it!

My friend and loyal commenter, Almost Anonymous, is a tough nut to crack. She's an enigma wrapped in an antique map but this is what I got based on what I know of her. She's got the Libra balance and zen thing going, but under that quiet lies an adventurer who is feminine and fierce... a little natural, a little formal, a little old school a little all her own... the quote is my anthem for her: "vincit qui se vincit" : she conquers, who conquers herself.
the ship is the umbrella and she's come ashore... and the rest is for her to imagine. happy birthday!!




Sunday, September 14, 2008

Shadow Box #2, by M

here is the 2nd shadow box. there might be more, it's safe to say. i think i captured more of the shadow box thing i was looking for originally. the latin phrase means: "newly risen, how brightly you shine." But I later switched the phrase out to "sui generis" which means: one of a kind/of it's own kind... which fits this person much more.

Monday, August 25, 2008

FTA, by M


Did this a wee bit back... its more a collage than a shadow box but ah well. What to do.