Saturday, December 04, 2021

Mandala XCII

(Above:  Mandala XCII. Custom framed and hung as a diamond: 52 1/2" x 52 1/2"; hung as a square: 37" x 37". Found objects hand stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Found objects include: a silver-plated trivet; felt piano hammers; laminated, vintage grocery reward stamps; cafe curtain rings; coffee K-pods; View Master reels; four aluminum coasters; garter hooks; wooden textile perns; white plastic dairy pull tabs; shower curtain hangers; bottle caps; wavy hair curlers; laminated Tampa Nugget cigar bands; red casino chips; four, brass Chinese locks; white, plastic water bottle lids; William Heil cocktail stirrers; four, yellow, plastic dinosaurs; eight, brass bracelets; large, aluminum can pull tabs; keys; tree motif charms; and assorted buttons.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

I've finished another Found Object Mandala.  This one has all sorts of things on it including items generously donated to my stash by cyber friends.  (Thanks, Jinny Cherry, Dolly Patton, Maggie Hugie; Sabrina Lindenmann; Karen of Needles and Shovels; and others!)  If I missed anyone, I'm sorry.  It is hard for me to remember who gave me what after I add the items to my stash.

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XCII.)

Many people have asked about my stash, specifically about how I organize it.  The honest answer is that it isn't organized at all.  Every time I attempt such a task, I fail miserably.  The stash is mostly on the living room floor ... as in "all over half of the available floor space".  My living room is tiled.  This means I can easily scrounge around in the collection, shifting things from one place to another, fingering through little boxes that were supposed to help keep similar items together.  Within no time at all, any effort to organize is wiped out.  This system does seem to work for me but it really doesn't help keep straight the origin of any item. 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XCII.)

Although most of the items are on the living room floor, there's another stash in a downstairs back room.  This is where my drill and dremel are located ... and the container of casino chips, two buckets of old keys, and several other items.  The box of beer caps is elsewhere. All of the buttons are in my studio.  Basically, I've got things all over the house.  So far, it is working.  So far, Steve hasn't minded the mess!  (Thank goodness ... because I intend to continue adding to the accumulation!)

(Above:  Mandala XCII when hung as a square.)
 

1 comment:

Catherine - Mixed Media Artist said...

LOL on the "organised storage" NOT. I have some items that have never found a space, if someone comes, I move whatever from a seat, and hope I can put it back. These are at this point mainly the sewing threads that I'm using when I'm machining my "paper quilts".
I have only me to please but I guess if there was a SO here, I would have to organise...I do try, but then it just doesn't work properly