Thursday, June 10, 2021

Mandala LIX

(Above:  Mandala LIX. Framed: 15 1/2" x 15 1/2". Found objects hand-stitched to a block of a vintage quilt. Found objects include: a made-in-Japan decorative ceramic dish; keys; beer caps; clock gears; external tooth lock washers; sewing machine bobbins; four, gold shank buttons; flat buttons; pink hair curler pins; and four bright pink, plastic, fold-over plastic hair curlers.  Click on either image to enlarge.)

I'm pretty sure that the woman behind the sales counter at the Pickens Thrift Store thought I was stark raving mad when purchasing several bags of hair curlers.  My hair is a natural mop of long ringlets.  With South Carolina's high humidity, one could often describe it as a frizzy mane.  I've never had a reason for hair curlers ... ever .... but I do remember them from childhood, especially those that used pink pins.  The ones in my house (because my younger sisters often used them) went with grey, spring wire mesh curlers.  I picked up the bag because of the pink pins.  Before doing this, I had never seen the rubbery, pink curlers that folded over themselves.  I nearly threw these curlers away because they were too bulky for a mandala.  Folded up, however, they were the perfect corner accent pieces for this mandala!

(Above:  Detail of Mandala LIX.)

Generally speaking, I only use flat buttons on these mandalas.  The shank ones just won't sit upright.  Yet, I really wanted to use these four, gold-colored shank buttons.  I cut tiny pieces of acid-free foam centered board and poked holes in each one.  These worked as shims for the buttons.  Perhaps I will do this for more shank buttons.  I have so many and many are so pretty!

3 comments:

Ann Scott said...

Another wonderful piece. Boy, did you take me back - mesh curlers! Your way to use the shank buttons is genius, thanks for the tip.

Margaret said...

Love the memories those curlers inspire. As a little girl, my mom put my hair in "rags" to create ringlets. Later, both my sis and I had at least 2 "Toni" home permanents! And I used the wire mesh curlers -- and those plastic pink thingies too. In high school (sixties) I had long, straight locks, centre-parted. By university, it was short (I was a nursing student and long hair was just inconvenient) and it's been short ever since. But I had a dorm mate who had a 'mane' like yours -- and wanted it to be straight. Every night (I'm sure!) she rolled it up around rollers (2 or 3) that were at least 3" in diameter, to get the effect she wanted. It didn't last long though -- Montreal is as humid as the Carolinas!

Catherine - Mixed Media Artist said...

Just about every object you use, feels like a memory - I do remember hair rollers and the pins but not from home but from the beauty salon that my sister had her hair turned from straight to curls...but that was when she was much older. I don't think Mother would have agreed. My hair now is short-as but it's usually thick and fast growing...