Friday, October 11, 2013

Story of My Life Story


There were times when I wondered if I'd ever finish this one.  It went well at the beginning, but as it progressed I kept getting stuck, so I would put it aside and work on something else for a while. When I did complete it, I had trouble getting good photos of the piece; I had to re-photograph it 3 times!  But here it is:


Story of My Life Story
ingredients: vintage book cover, vintage paper doll, found objects, image transfers, monotype prints, vintage fabric, map fragments, vintage book pages, child's writing paper, jewelry findings, stitching


Most stories, if you really think about it, are stories of stories. If the story is a recounting of the events, then each time the story is retold, even in our own minds, it becomes the story of a story.  By the time a person is, say, in their 50's, those earlier events are stories that we have told ourselves over and over again - altered by the passage of time, emotion, and tricks of the memory.  Changes in our perspective through learning, as well as intervening experiences, add new layers of color to our stories, probably more than we like to admit.





Life does not consist mainly, or even largely, of facts and happenings.  It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that are forever blowing through one's mind. ~ Mark Twain




18 comments:

  1. This piece was well worth the wait, Sharmon. I love the way you have stitched the compass into the book cover.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Robyn. I actually kind of made the compass myself - it doesn't really work - but I'm glad it looks real.

      Delete
  2. hello Sharmon, i just have been wandering through your last posts,such beauty there, that log cabin is a joy to look at , the creek, i love herons...saying goodbye to your trees (i know what you're talking about) and your work.
    you telling your stories on book covers, that idea on itself, i love it, and the way you transform it and even add objects and all.
    here again you managed to create a wonderful coherence, and made great use of that beautiful blue, it looks so fine at first sight and than when i look at every part and detail i read so many stories.
    i like what you wrote about stories and memories, so true,
    i enjoyed my visit here, x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Renilde, I so appreciate your kind and thoughtful words. I'm glad you like the book covers - sometimes I wonder if people 'get it'- but you so obviously do. I think telling those real stories was what made this one more difficult than most, but I'm happy with the end result.

      Delete
  3. grandir... joli interprétation!

    ReplyDelete
  4. and that little pencil stub. Love it..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, yes... ironically, the pencil belonged to one of my last year's students who never had a pencil with him, and thought it was funny... I traded him for a normal-sized one.

      Delete
  5. this is amazing work ... as always, the symbolism is so rich and the details are so well done.. the compass and the ruler... just fabulous.. this is a great assemblage..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cat, your praise means a lot to me... thank you so much! xxoo

      Delete
  6. I remember this piece...the clothespins, paperdoll and the lovely wing...strong and beautiful piece Sharmon!

    ReplyDelete
  7. this one is quite disturbingly familiar Sharmon, your work goes way deep in a playful way

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ha- disturbingly familiar- I like that! i'm glad you got that it was deep in a playful way; I wasn't sure how it came across. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. as always I wish I could see it in person to really appreciate the movement and texture - what a great piece, wistful and playful all at once

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for the kind words, Deb; I wish you could see it too. We'll have to meet up one of these days...

      Delete
  10. Its wonderful to be here, reading your story, and seeing your stories in your art and in your life and your cabin. I haven't meant to be gone so long. Today I am trying to slow down...
    roxanne

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks, Roxanne; I'm so glad you stopped by! good luck with that slowing down thing; when you figure it out, will you teach me how to do it? lol

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. I'm happy to reply here, but may not always have time for individual emails.