Freeform Friday: Antique Ephemera

Read about my previous Texas inspiration from January 2013... 

This past week I was in Austin, Tx visiting family. I adore travel, and I love the heightened awareness that I get when traveling. The DE-TX route is one I do a few times a year; even though my sister's and my parents' houses feel like home - the travel awakens me. I am more alert, tuned in to my surroundings as they are familiar but different. I am almost guaranteed to be inspired, and rejuvenated to return to the studio. This trip it was a day trip to Georgetown, TX and a few fabulous antique stores...

The loot from Gatherings. 

Rosary cases for mixed media necklaces? 

We were having a bit of show and tell over a glass of wine - and my Dad was incredulous that I was SO excited over this little pile of ephemera. But I have big plans:

This leather rosary case joins a leather coin purse in my tray of treasures. I see them with grommets to allow for a secure attachment that won't damage the leather. I imagine personal treasures inside: pictures, notes to one's self, a small object to wear close to your heart...

The Optometrist lenses are a classic component of mixed media pieces, and I admit I find them lovely to use. I like to collage on antique paper, worn thin and translucent. The resin does the rest. I think the layers reveal and conceal words and images in a way that engages the viewer. The resin lens shown was one half of a pair of spectacles. As the the buckles - I DO have a stock pile of these. I like to use them as frames, enshrining a word or image. The piece below was created in tandem with my artist friend Betsy Mortenson, the shapes and words play off the images in a giclee print of hers.

Optometrist lenses and an antique Mother-of-pearl buckle. 

This one may look familiar? Another buckle on the top right... and a look back at the mixed media COM's from January 2014! I'm pretty excited - I'll be teaching this mold making/polymer/mixed media class at Bead Fest in April! 

Buckles destined for Mixed media; like  I am teaching at Beadfest! 

And last but not least, a flock of feathered friends in the form of cigarette cards. Popular from the 1870's until the early 1900's these advertising cards decorated and stiffened soft packs of cigarettes. They are quite collectible, but at $1 each I don't think these corvids and owls are in high demand.

Cigarette cards - a company of corvids. 

The sales woman asked me what I was going to do - I think the phrase mixed media artist piqued her interest. I had been sketching shrine pendants in the airport already - so here are a few excerpts from my pages:

From my sketchbook... 

The cards are a bit large and I may have to trim them. My basic idea is to create a copper and mica sandwich, or alternately a copper and plexiglass sandwich. The piece would be attached with rivets, microvolts, etc. I could even do a peyote stitch ribbon around the piece, ( sketch on bottom left) to circle the poleax and sit flush between the copper pieces. Hmm. SO many ideas!

What will these be? Time will tell... 

And last but not least:
Antique watch crystals, some tiny and some medium. I am going to keep these a secret for now... but I am SO excited about these! They were in a Mason jar! So many, I was sorting through them, tempted to buy more!

I have a studio day planned today! Mixed media, metal, polymer, and perhaps a few hares... it IS March. Until next time... 

Jenny

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Freeform Friday: Trash to treasure

Trash to treasure. We all know the phrase. But for the last week its been my job.  I was trying to think of a topic for this post as all I have been doing is sorting, tossing, packaging, purging... Oh! That is the post!

My Dad is here, working on cleaning out my parents old house. As my parents are happily settled in new digs in Austin - its not a sad, heartbreaking experience... but the process is still exhausting mentally and physically, and a little depressing.  We have a dumpster... and we clearly know how to use it! (Picture was taken on Day 2 of 7!)

My brother ( on left) and husband ( on right ) surveying the territory. 

Clothes for vintage sales, clothes for Goodwill. Love letters from my maternal grandparents, nothing too racy as they were "courting" from 1917 to 1921! Cards drawn by my sisters and I for birthdays...moth eaten stuffed animals... so many memories to revisit, honor and then let go. 

But amidst the flotsam and jetsam there are treasures to be had!!! You know I am a mixed media artist and sometimes the strangest things spark an idea. Let me show you a few things I happily adopted this week:

1. Vintage clock keys - wire wrapped? Annealed, drilled? Necklace focal or shrine insert? 

2. Dutch (?) painted porcelain button - gabled house and ships beyond. Peyote stitch bezel? polymer?    Focal on a shrine exterior to draw you in? 

3. Vintage celluloid (early plastic) horse. I am thinking it was a Cracker Jack prize back in the day - before my time. Resin? Featured in a shadowbox pendant? 

4. Rhinestone bling - broken costume jewelry... Really - no idea. The magpie in me was drawn to the "shiny!"

1. Wee glass bottles ( above tins in top pix) - wire wrapped? Circular peyote around the neck? Corks? Contents? Those tins? Definitely shrine pendants. Altered, manipulated, and secret relics added inside... 

2. Id bracelet blank, vintage Mexican silver earring - My Mom saved one earring. Who knows the reason. Its stunning. 

3. Broken small pocket watch - no question here. I am just going to polish it and wear it on a long necklace with chunky gemstones!

Books! 

Derelict, dying, decrepit books. Old dictionaries, and foreign language texts are the best. Why? Words under resin! Lining a shrine interior! Text is a favorite of mine to incorporate into much of my work. 

Sorry to be brief - I hope you enjoyed seeing my finds... Its late here Thursday night - I look forward to a bit of down time this weekend (its been dialed up to 11 since before Beadfest) and then the studio next week! Stay tuned for more adventures... 

Brother - waving goodbye from way over there across the vista of detritus. 

Jenny 

www.jdaviesreazor.com