Tidal Wave V, The Rubber Duckies

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave V, The Rubber Duckies. Custom framed: 37 1/4" x 37 1/4".  Assorted rubber duckies and buttons hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

While I was enjoying a month-long art residency in Montana, Steve continued to visit the Pickens County flea market ... every Wednesday morning.  One week, he scored big!  He bought a large tub of assorted rubber duckies.  According to the dealer who sold them, there were over three-hundred.  Looking at the duckies I have left, the dealer was correct!  There are about as many still in the tub as are stitched to this piece!

 

(Above:  Detail of Tidal Wave V.)

In order to create this piece, I prepared the surface.  By this, I mean that I cut a vintage quilt to the size needed for a large stretcher bar. The quilt section was stapled to this stretcher bar.  Next, I placed a piece of sheer off-white netting over the surface.  I do this in order to protect any fragile/worn/tattered areas.  Then, I stitched the button outline and added the star-shaped embroidery in the area where there would be no duckies.  The vintage quilt was tied, not densely quilted.  Thus, the star-shaped stitches went over the tie ends.  This helps integrate the sheer netting to the quilt.  You can't even see it in these photos!  In person, I can point it out but most people don't even see the netting!

(Above:  Detail of Tidal Wave V.)

Then, I tacked down the duckies using a bare minimum of hot glue.  It was the only way to cover "the wave" adequately and spread out the colors of the duckies.  Stitching through rubber is hard enough.  Stitching through hot glue is really, really hard ... so not much is used ... certainly not enough to seriously attach them, just tack them down "a little"!

 

(Above:  Detail of Tidal Wave V.)

It took several days to stitch all the duckies.  Some of them were easy to stitch.  Most required a part of pliers to get the long needle through the colorful creatures.  Several needles broke.  Some swearing was involved.  I used plenty of hand lotion every night to help revive my fingers.  Yet, it was really fun to do!  

(Above:  Tidal Wave V and me!)

Jim Henson's voice played in my mind constantly ... singing along with the Muppet Ernie who debuted the song Rubber Duckie on the Sesame Street episode of February 25, 1970.  Steve loves oldie countdowns on Sirius radio and knew that the song was a hit single ... number sixteen on the Billboards Hot 100.  As I finished the piece, Steve snapped a rough photo of it and printed it.  We numbered the duckies on the photo ... 151 rubber duckies!  That's a lot of duckies!

Mandala CCLXIII, Bullwinkle

(Above:  Mandala CCLXIII, (Nickname:  Bullwinkle).  Custom framed:  21 3/4" x 21 3/4".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Objects include:  A Bullwinkle plate; bottle caps; rubber duckies; suspender attachments; white poker chips; letters from a board game; rabies pet tags; green flags/fan blades from a set of Tinkertoys; four, shiny gold, disposable "Smokey the Bear" ash trays; assorted buttons and beads.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

This mandala is the result of several stories!  First ... I almost didn't buy the Bullwinkle plate when I saw it ... months ago ... at the Pickens County flea market.  Truly, it seemed "too big" for a centerpiece but how could I resist?  I don't actually remember watching Bullwinkle cartoons but I also can't remember a time in my life when I didn't know the characters!  So, reluctantly, I bought it for a whole dollar! LOL! 

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXIII.)

Finally, I figured out a way to make the Bullwinkle plate visually look "smaller".  It took hours to line-up and drill holes and finally stitch the beer caps to the rim.  They moved during the stitching.  They weren't tight against the plate until a series of pulled knots tightened the attachments.  Swearing was involved but it was worth it!  The gold beads were how the plate was then stitched to the quilt.  For something that looks so simple, this was complicated!

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXIII.)

A more recent purchase from the Pickens County flea market was the four Smokey the Bear disposable ash trays.  I do remember visiting Smokey the Bear at the Smithsonian National Zoo.  (He died in 1976) And, I remember the night when the last cigarette ad broadcast on television.  I wasn't allowed to stay up and watch it though!  (The last televised cigarette ad was for Virginia Slims and shown on the Johnny Carson Show on January 1, 1971 at 11:59 PM.)  Somehow or the other, I would never have imagined anything about Smokey the Bear and cigarettes being put together ... but someone must have!

 

Finally ... the rubber duckies!  While I was in Montana enjoying a month-long art residency, Steve continued to go to the Pickens County flea market.  One Wednesday, he bought a tub of assorted rubber duckies.  The dealer claimed that there were at least three hundred in the tub.  It took an entire afternoon to sort through them.  These eight had little surf boards and were the first to be incorporated.  I've been stitching rubber duckies ever since!

Mandala CCLXII, Strawberries and Snowflakes

(Above:  Mandala CCLXII, Strawberries and snowflakes.  Custom framed: 11 5/8" x 11 5/8".  Found objects hand-stitched to a block of a vintage quilt.  Objects include:  A very small Oriental dish; strawberry shaped emery pincushions; small bells; snowflakes from a broken string of Christmas lights; buckles; antique capacitors; assorted buttons and beads.)

Steve built this little "floater" styled frame for me from four scraps of moulding that would otherwise be thrown out.  It was small ... very small!  Therefore, it was a challenge to design something for this little enclosure.  Naturally, I thought about the tiny porcelain dish.  I've had it for months and months but it has been too small to use in the center of any other Found Object Mandala.  I told myself, "Susan, if you can drill a hole in this dish, it will be used on this little piece."  Well ... I was successful!  The hole was drilled and I found things to surround it!  Stitching this one didn't take long! LOL!

(Above:  Photo for scale!)

Mandala CCLXI, Small Indian Icon

(Above:  Mandala CCLXI, the small Indian icon.  Custom framed:  15 1/2" x 15 1/2".  Found objects hand stitched to a block of an antique quilt.  Objects include:  A small, leather patch featuring an Indian woman; a protractor; antique chocolate milk bottle cardboard lids; external tooth lock washers; brass screw eyes; pieces of jewelry; gold shank buttons mounted on grommets; assorted buttons and beads.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

This piece started with two frames left outside the custom picture framing shop where our orders of moulding and framing supplies are delivered (because our supplier doesn't want to add another stop to our weekly truck delivery service!) Thankfully, the couple who own The Framery in Liberty, South Carolina are really nice and allow us to pick up things at their shop!  They are so nice that they leave scraps of mat board, old boxes, and discarded frames outside their front door with a sign reading:  FREE!  The two frames were in terrible shape.  One was definitely broken but I could easily see that between the two, one unique frame could be cut and built.  Steve built it and added an interior frame (the gold lip shown in the image above.  Yes ... this is "double framed"!)

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXI.)

I then went to work designing something for the frame ... something exotic because that outer frame seemed quite ornate.  This is what I came up with and I'm very please how it all came out!

(Above:  Mandala CCLXI at an angle.)