Books

My Bookcase

traveling light

Treasures

Shelves of favorite things, books, gifts from friends and family, some handmade.

Box from Lydia with favorite things... my dog's collar, buttons, omiyage from my brother's trip to Japan, a small Lisa photo, business card from my grandfather, "pee babies".

Box I got in Chicago, it had rocks in it originally. Now the box has, among other things, shells from a store in San Pedro that's sadly no longer there, painted rice, healing dirt, garnets from Alaska from Jane, Leda's "origami" (folded/crunched up paper fastened with tape) from when she was about 4 years old.

In thinking about "belongings" these are the things that first came to mind for me. Things that I love for one reason or another, most have been with me for a long time. Sometimes the importance is the object, sometimes the importance is more in who gave it to me. All these things have positive vibes/energy (whatever you want to call it) for me, even if they are from bittersweet times of life.

When life felt simpler, and like there was more time, I went through things regularly, every year, a big clean out, and what remained was only the essential and the things that I really loved. This like life, to only have what and who you really love in your life, what could be better.

The top of our dresser from the 1920's (was my grandma's), that sits in the living room.

Mirror Portrait

the faceless doll

One of the first objects I thought of when I started this project was this faceless doll. I found it one day on top of a garbage container, as if whoever was getting rid of it couldn't bear to actually toss it in with the trash. I took it to my studio where it sat near me for a couple of months. In one of my cleaning moments I took it to school and attempted to leave it in the props room where I was teaching a drawing class. It lived in that dark closet for some time, among the bottles and white geometric shapes and cast off shoes, the tea pots, the cow skull, and other still life objects. I actually forgot it was there. Nine months later I was teaching another class at the same school and I rediscovered it. I had to take it back.

Dolls are so freighted with associations. This one is no different. Only, I don't know who made it. I don't know who it originally belonged to. And I don't know why it doesn't have a face. And yet I still relate to it so strongly.