You might have guessed that I’d always want a house full of maritime stuff, wouldn’t you? But of course, I couldn’t afford it. So, by and large, I had to learn how to make it.
Eventually, I started making it for other people, and things got out of hand as the maritime objects around the house ran the gamut from little carvings of boats to large eagles. At last, the preponderance of large stuff wound up as a gallery on the walls of the front porch. No,I was not lethargic in producing many goodies for the ” hopelessly addicted to boats crew” to ogle and demand for home office and boat.
My wife, in despair, demanded that I pack away some of it because they are terrible dust collectors and were all over the place. So many old pieces from my early days got packed away: anything that didn’t go to shows anymore or anything that I no longer wanted to have shown. You know, the early stuff that embarrasses you. And that’s how this little whatchamacallit wound up packed away.
Over the years, I made many of these as whimsical sales items, and my technique improved. But this was the first one, and it was a little rough. So when things needed packing away, it was first to go. But somehow, it spilled out of a box yesterday during a reorganization. I looked at it, decided I still liked it and may make more. It somehow does not fit the decor of the house as we like it, but it’s whimsical and fun.
A popular restaurant/bar here in town has those hands on the restroom doors. One says Ladies with a hand pointing one way, and the other says Men, with a hand pointing the other way. Always fun to watch people standing in front of those doors, hoping they select the correct one.
My favorite was one I saw once where it was actually pointing around the corner, and the finger was bent around the edge to signify that.
I like it, too. The first oil painting I did after high school (40 years later) is in a bin in the garage and I like it, won’t sell it, but don’t have a place to hang it.
When I was just beginning a mentor told me that first things were very precious because they have no pretensions or preconceived ideas of what they should be. Later I found that in martial arts this was called “beginners mind” and it was a prized state because as you mature in an art you get boxed into assumptions and techniques.
I’m determined NOT to do that. I see it all the time and I think success contributes to losing the beginner’s mind. So far so good 😜
Fantastic hand! My dream home would be a log home in Ireland or Scotland.
I think the finger of your wife telling you to give away the whatchamacallits
no she just wanted them stored or in my office.