Do you know the expression “old home week”? Tony had never heard it before and I can’t remember when I started using it. Basically it is something you say when you are going around town and run into several people you haven’t seen in a long time. Having lived in my town for 16 years now, I have this experience quite frequently. Since we are a college town, a lot of people stop in and stay for a few years before moving on to other adventures. My first four years I was in college here and I will often meet up with people who were in my first year program or lived in my dorm. It feels like a different lifetime, like layers of lifetimes built one top of one another. So, “old home week” is a fun expression to use and sums up those past lifetimes quite nicely.
Lucky for me that my friend Lia, who moved away several years ago, still comes back to visit. She has the best style–check out her shirt!–and is an amazingly, sweet friend!
Since I am looking into the past, I have decided to revitalize a few projects: one from the distance past and one from this past fall. While in college and a few years that followed, I was obsessed with minimalist art, especially female interpretations of minimalism. Agnes Martin was my heroine. I made a series of paintings that were intended to straddle the line between hard, geometric forms and a softer line that showed the hand that made it. I would layer on the watercolor paint and have each wash of color bump up to the outline of the shape, but since it was watercolor paint it wouldn’t leave a crisp edge. Something about the soft edge really spoke to me. I think it still influences my artwork, but I am not so limited in my subject matter as I once was. So here is a painting I did in 1998, although I recently trimmed down the paper to make the composition a bit tighter (available in my shop):
I also decided to redo the stitching on the “Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?” quilt that I finished this past fall. I redid the quilting, although I didn’t undo the binding first. Sloppy of me, I know; although I don’t think it shows too much.
Speaking of “old home week”…when I helped my folks move to Colorado last summer, my mom kept asking me if there was anything I’d like to take for myself. The one item I really, really wanted was this set of salt and pepper set that we have had since I was a child. I figure the paint that is peeling on top is full of lead, but I had to have them. They are made of glass, one is blue and one is a yellow-green color. I love the way these photos turned out.
Never heard of the phrase “old home week” but I miss those times when that was possible. I loved being able to walk down a street and see people I hadn’t seen in a long time.
In about 2 years I’ll reach the date at the point where I’ve lived the same amount of time in Omaha as Olympia. I like Omaha, but Olympia will still remain my “hometown.”
I remember your era of minimalism. It influences me even today. Like I can spot a Rothko in a museum and say, “Hey a Rothko!” and people will be impressed because we’re not close enough to read the little signage. I will also nod at the Eve Hesse stuff I’ve seen and play with my chin and say, “Hmmm…yes…Eva Hesse, she had a brain tumor, too.”
And I felt like I was having an old home week as well–but maybe in reverse? Coming to Olympia for one day and seeing literally dozens of people I knew–running into them on the street, and the co op and luckily at good friend’s houses. It was so good to see you all! More here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/quintana_roo/
Yes, I’m familiar with that phrase. Sometimes even though you’ve been gone for a while a place or people can still feel like home.
Really like your bear quilt and the arc quilting. And your salt and pepper shakers remind me of the polka dot red mushrooms I’m seeing everywhere in blog land.
What a nice post! There are so many good things here. I love your friend’s shirt- so original.
I love the cleanness to your painting. As always your mini quilts are full of wonder and enjoyment. I love the semi circular quilted lines. ( I’ve been trying to play with my quilting lately)