Earlier this morning, I was outside sweeping the back patio. I ran the broom through the expansion joint crack and out came a good dozen perfectly round ivory circles. Ah, the remains of the holes I was hammering through that handmade book a couple of weeks ago. Thought I had gotten them all but I guess that some had literally slipped through the cracks. It got me thinking about the various marks I have left around our house while in the creative mode.
There's this drip of russet paint inside my Tupperware cabinet. It's Lumiere Metallic Russet, to be exact, and it's quite permanent. It all started with a brainstorm while I was supposed to be working on business stuff. I left my inputting behind, and went into the kitchen to do some fabric stamping. I was in the middle of working on Designing With Stamping and I wanted to create a cool collage by layering various colors of paint with the same stamp. The russet paint was on the counter and picked it up and shook it before applying it to the stamp. OH MY WORD!!! i hadn't closed the lid all the way the last time I used it and this full (of course it was full) container of russet (that's a rusty red, by the way) paint is all over my counter, my cabinets, my floor, and me. I'm in business clothes that day-a pair of black linen capris and a light blue linen shirt...of course. The paint is dripping off my clothes and onto the floor, making it worse. I just stood there, totally paralyzed. I didn't know where to start. Couldn't go out into the garage to get the rags...I'd drip paint the whole way out. Finally, I pulled off my clothes and put them in the kitchen sink...deal with them later. I brought in the rags and started cleaning up the mess. So here I am on all fours, in my underwear, red paint on my arms and bottom of my legs, surrounded by a pile of paint drenched rags and in walks hubby, back from running his errands. He took one look at me, the floor, the counters and the cabinets, shook his head and said "I'm not even going to ask". Trust me when I tell you, it was not, I repeat, NOT a pretty sight. Days later, I found the drip inside one of the cabinet doors...it's still there.
Then there's the verdigris paint drip on the Saltillo tile floor in the dining area. Saltillo is pretty porous and it seems that the paint liked its new home. Must have gotten that one when I taking the brush over to the kitchen sink to rinse off. Hmmm, maybe I can start a trend - Saltillo tiles with a patina!
The kitchen counter, well there are a few unidentifiable marks here and there...and one that is a direct result of vigorously sandpapering the edge of the paper which ended up sanding the countertop...ooops.
I've gotten past the point of trying to eradicate these marks...they are stories that represent my imperfections and my passion about my art. They remind me that I'm doing what I love. They remind me to laugh at myself. They remind me that I'm messy and love being that way. So, I will leave my marks.
I'd love to hear your stories, too...
Meet Fred...we've had him for over 13 years, a birthday gift to Ashley for her 7th birthday. He went from being a sedentary, indoor aquarium turtle to being a feisty, roaming outdoor reptile with attitude. He glares at us when he doesn't want to be disturbed and comes to the back patio door and knocks with his beak when he's hungry or wants attention. He often comes into the house to explore when we open the back door.
...I am STILL loving this color palette which I found in a magazine last year...so much so that I used it in a project over the weekend.
