Remember and Inspire.

Anyone entering my front door would immediately know they were in the home of a painter. Besides the obvious easel and paintbox right there smack in my living room, there are various odd pieces of pottery and kitchen implements nobody recognizes anymore, along with tarnished and dented silver plate vessels and hand crocheted doilies. I abandoned the idea long ago of having the kind of dwelling that looked as though the owner were expecting a camera crew from Country Living Magazine to show up at any moment. I'm a little envious of people who can pull that off on a daily basis. But that's ok. I'm finally comfortable enough in my own skin that the clutter only bothers me occasionally. When it does, I clean it up to a respectable level and then take a nap. If a camera crew ever does show up, I'm sure they will arrange everything according to their own satisfaction and point the camera away from the rest. The pieces are there to inspire new artwork. But they aren't just a random collection of junk. There's a story behind every piece and an idea for how to use it in a painting.

The best part about collecting props like these is hearing the stories people tell me about them. Among my favorite pieces, shown above, there's a tarnished gold-plate spoon from a beloved grandmother, a collection of brass and glass doorknobs found in a basement when the new owners moved in, an old food mill reminiscent of the one my mother used to make applesauce with, and a silver coffee server from a woman who was downsizing her home after her husband passed. One of my favorite stories is about a collection of teacups acquired from an estate sale. According to the brother and sister who were running it, their mother had collected them over many years and as she grew old, they were stored away. Over time, the box they were in was mistakenly placed in the garage where they sustained water damage. When the children were preparing for her estate sale, they were heartbroken at the condition of the teacups, but so overwhelmed at the enormity of the other tasks before them, that they set the box out on a table with a '$1 each as is' sign on it. I knew there had to be a gem in there among the cracked, crazed, and dirt crusted pieces, so I asked if they had some paper towels and glass cleaner. I explained that I couldn't tell if they'd be useful to me as they were but that I'd be happy to clean them up to find out. The worst that could happen would be that they'd have some cleaner pieces to set out and maybe get a better price for them. They looked at me a little funny (I get that a lot) but gave me permission. After about an hour's work, we had eighteen sets that were in pristine condition once cleaned. I bought the eleven that were from Ireland, England, and France. That left seven perfectly exquisite sets and they were able to put a higher price on them. Judging from the daughter's grateful comments and misty eyes, I think she may have kept one or two of them. 

I think I finally understand what draws me to collect and include pieces like these in my paintings. They recall something in their respective owners...stories of a simpler time... a time when people gathered at the kitchen table with the aroma from the oven to hold them willing captive...a time when electronic devices did not demand attention constantly or use private conversations to send an invasion of ads to urge us to buy..buy..buy. There was a time when eating out was a rare treat and neighbors shared their table like family. I feel like I'm helping people remember those times by rescuing a few pieces of their history. If it means that I have to manage some clutter, so be it!

Do you have a favorite antique or vintage piece that brings back pleasant memories? Share it in the comments. I'd love to hear.