Friday, June 1, 2012

Art and Flowers




Making funky little collages on the covers of battered, falling apart antique books. 







From My Book of Golden Thoughts: 

"It is the Height of Art to conceal Art." from the Latin

What does it mean? And what a strange attribution...

Peonies require no explanation.

22 comments:

  1. I'm glad you're feeling inspired and are staying busy. Thank you for your kind words about our three cats - not over the shock of losing them yet. Now that we're down to three cats, Jay has decided it's time that he had a dog, so we're going to a pet shelter in Colville, Washington (2 hours away) on Sunday to look at a Brittany spaniel. He's always wanted a Brittany. I always said, "No puppy because it will chew the Persian carpets," but this is four to six years old and was found lost in a forest. Wish us a good bonding experience.

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    1. Karen--I decided that if I get another dog, I would get an adult from a shelter. Hope the Brittany is a good match!

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  2. your collages are great. put a smile on my face :)

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    1. Thanks, Petra. I've always been a serious person, and starting the store seems to have been my bridge to letting myself have a little fun.

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  3. Absolutely no idea what the saying meant but just to say I love old books, the feel and smell of them and knowing they have passed through so many hands before yours is a great feeling.Enjoy your weekend Jen, whatever you are doing.

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    1. Anne--I love old books too. And even though the covers were literally falling off of these I felt guilt about taking these apart. Still do actually...

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  4. Lovely collages Jen.

    Glad that you are busy busy....

    Have a lovely weekend, enjoy and relax


    x Fiona

    ps my one peony still hasn't flowered yet!

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    1. Fiona--make sure you post a picture of the peony. They remind me of ball gowns in the days of crinolines and petticoats.

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  5. these are fabulous, jen. i love them. and what a good idea, to make old tattered covers more appealing...since i guess we always will judge a book by it's cover.

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    1. I'm so glad you like them! I know you're like me--always have to be creating something!

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  6. Your books have been renovated so charmingly. And yes, Confucianism is confusing, too!

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    1. Renovated is the perfect word--now I feel a little less guilty about using them. That saying does have a Confucian, or Zen-like quality. It seemed so strange, hidden among 19th century Western poetry.

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  7. These collages are such a cool idea Jen! You are so creative!

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    1. Thanks, Demie. I am having fun with it.

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  8. What a fantastic idea to make these collages! It would be such a pity if these pics were lost! Go on! Christa

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    1. Thanks, Christa. I'm enjoying playing with words and pictures, and it's nice to give the old books new life.

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  9. I LOVE the little collages! Do you really get your water from a well?

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    1. Shelley--It's not the kind of well you carry a bucket to! :)
      It was dug when the house was built and water from underground streams, aquifers(?), mysterious places, fill it up, and an electric pump brings it into the house. It's delicious.

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  10. Jen... your creations are wonderful! I have the poem by Emily Dickinson on a wooden board in my kitchen... I cut it from a magazine in the 1970s and varnished it on to the board. Not nearly has creative and colorful as yours!

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    1. Susan--that's so cool!. I love E.D.--I don't think anyone packed as much into as few words as she did!

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