Friday, 30 November 2012
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Theme of the Week - Extreme Weather
What with global warming and such we seem to be experiencing extreme weather more often these days. I've never seen an Aurora Borealis like that before! Showers of fishes? Raining for 40 days and 40 nights? What sort of weather will you predict? Have fun!
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Seven Years Bad Luck
The belief that the soul projects out of the body and into mirrors in the form of reflection underlies perhaps the most widely known mirror superstition: that breaking a mirror brings seven years' bad luck. Many believed that breaking a mirror also broke the soul of the one who broke it. The soul, so angered at being hurt, exacted seven years of bad luck in payment for such carelessness. The Romans, who were the first to make glass mirrors, attributed the seven years' bad luck to their belief that life renewed itself every seven years. To break a mirror meant to break one's health, and this "broken health" would not be remedied for seven years. The bad luck could be averted, though, by grinding the mirror shards to dust so that no shattered reflections could again be seen in them. The early American slaves adopted a less gruelling way to deal with this kind of ill luck: submerge the broken mirror pieces in a stream of south-running water, and the bad luck would be washed away in seven hours.
In some cultures, the breaking of a mirror was thought to presage a death in the family within the year. This association of mirrors with death is common in folklore, and stems from the belief that the soul could become trapped in the mirror, causing death. For this reason, young children were often not allowed to look in a mirror until they were at least a year old. Mirrors were covered during sleep or illness so that the soul, in its wanderings, would not become trapped and unable to return to the body. After a death in the family, mirrors were also covered or turned to the wall to prevent the soul of the newly departed from becoming caught in the mirror, delaying its journey to the afterlife. In Bulgaria, this practice warded off more sinister intentions -- that the soul of the dead person, lingering about its former home until the burial of its body, would carry off the soul of a living person whose reflection appeared in a mirror. Mirrors appear commonly as grave goods in Serbo-Croatia, particularly for those who die prematurely. These are the most "dangerous" dead, apt to roam from their graves and harry the living. Mirrors are believed to trap the soul of the deceased at the grave site where it belongs.
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Sunday, 25 November 2012
Saturday, 24 November 2012
Thinking Diamonds Could Cure Her Melancholia, Marla Only Set Herself Up To Become a Victim of Robbery
Here's a superstition about diamonds:
In ancient India, it was believed that diamonds would cure insanity and infections and were even injected into the bladder to break up bladder stones. Ancient Hindus were very careful to use only the highest quality diamonds in their medical practices, as diamonds of inferior quality were thought to cause leprosy, lameness, or jaundice.
In ancient India, it was believed that diamonds would cure insanity and infections and were even injected into the bladder to break up bladder stones. Ancient Hindus were very careful to use only the highest quality diamonds in their medical practices, as diamonds of inferior quality were thought to cause leprosy, lameness, or jaundice.
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Theme of the Week - Superstition
I think we've had this one before but worth doing again I think. Black cats, walking under ladders, breaking mirrors, lucky charms, magpies, etc. etc. so many to choose from. Have fun and be lucky!
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Sunday, 18 November 2012
Somebody Needs To Give Me a Pet Fox
Here's a recent little cabinet card piece, which seems to fit this theme nicely . And yes, I really would love to have a pet fox!
Saturday, 17 November 2012
Mother Knew a Good Breakfast Would Make Johnnie Grow Up To Be a Brilliant Businessman
With apologies to Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) for using a portion of "Business Lunch", 1946, oil and sand on canvas, 36 5/8 x 47 1/4 inches. Mother and Johnnie from a vintage advertisment.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Oh my this is a moldy oldie! I made this collage about 20 years ago (therefore it is Old Fashioned!) and it has been a part of a book of collages I forgot about. I pulled the page to scan it and just titled it. Cannot remember where any of the images came from. I always liked the sheet music I applied to the bannister.
Friday, 16 November 2012
grief
A dear friend of mine recently died. He was/is my best friend, in fact—always will be. So I'm in the throes of it.
Background is hand-marbled paper from India. Hydra by Albertus Seba (1665-1736).
What's old-fashioned about this? The seven-headed hydra is a very old-fashioned monster.
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Theme of the Week - Old Fashioned
This was quite a popular theme way back in the Scrapiteria days so hopefully it will be again. Being a bit old fashioned myself I can relate to this subject!
The World in Pieces
Got this one in under the wire! I've been dealing with a broken toe and a biopsy of a suspicious mole (same foot!) and have not been in the mood to create or do much of anything but elevate said foot. But I thought about this theme and all I could think about was a flattened out view of the world. So here it is!
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Monday, 12 November 2012
pieces of the world
I kinda want to get some reactions to this thing, before I explain about how it came to be...except to say that the phrase "pieces of the world" got stuck in my head and definitely wanted to be an abstract.
Sunday, 11 November 2012
Saturday, 10 November 2012
Friday, 9 November 2012
The Fight For Peace
I must admit this was a collage meant for the last theme but I never got round to finishing it in time - so amended for the new theme.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Theme of The Week - Peace In The World Or The World In Pieces
This was the theme for a mail art show I hosted back in the 80's. I've always liked the title - which originally came from a song by a gospel group - who's name escapes me? Anyway, might be fun to try it here. Good hunting!
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Monday, 5 November 2012
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Saturday, 3 November 2012
it was a dark and stormy night on titan
This collage weirds me out. I think it's a good thing, sometimes, to be weirded out by your own art.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Theme of The Week - Fight!
Battling brawny brutes in a furious bare knuckle showdown, pirates with cutlasses in their teeth, aliens being zapped by death rays or hand bags at ten paces! I'll leave it up to you! Have fun!