It's probably obvious that the inspiration for this Found Object Mandala was the carved, wooden animals. Whether they are donkeys or mules or South American pack burros is unknown (and totally unimportant!), but I will think of them as mules. They remind me of dawn while an artist-in-residence at Guadalupe Mountain National Park in west Texas ....
... and walking up the gravel road to the mule corral. I visited almost every morning, staring into the deepest, darkest, soul-filled eyes. So, of course, when a box of carved wooden MULES was on a "table lot" at Bill Mishoe's auction, I bid ... successfully. Not until I got the box home did I realize that I had different shades of wood and enough for more than one mandala!
It might have been on the same evening that my friend Bert successfully bid on another table lot that included this vintage, utilitarian quilt. Having no better use of it, Bert gave it to me. With the odd arrangement of fabrics and the unbalance contrast, I wasn't totally sure this quilt would work. Yet, when I put a piece of light orange netting over the top, it worked well.
Even Ernie the Cat seemed to approve! I'm very pleased with this large addition to the Found Object Mandala Series. So is Ernie and also my husband Steve.
Yet, Steve asked an interesting question: Why are the legs of the mules pointing outward? Honestly, I have no idea why I arranged then that way ... but I've started another mandala with more mules ... with their legs pointing inward. Like real mules, they seem to go both ways! LOL!
1 comment:
That is a great photo of the mules and I can see why it would inspire this mandala. I'm amazed by what you (Steve and your friends) find at auction. California is too young to have the good stuff (at least for a good price). I think it is a good thing I'm not near you! Ernie approved, love that!
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