The picture that hangs above my fireplace is my favorite material possession. It's an antique airbrush by Turner that I bought on Ebay 8 years ago. When I received it, shipped from NE, the cardboard wrapper/padding had come apart, the frame was busted, but the thick, smooth, blemish free, mint condition painting was waiting inside. I quickly framed it behind UV glass to ensure it would never fade.
I frequently change a lot of the wall decor in my home, but this painting stays put. I wrote my husband's aunt just this week that I love this painting because of the woman's gaze and then for the first time ever I realized you can't even actually see her eyes!
There is something about hard work: I recently read the mowing chapter in Anna Karenina. In Levin's frustration upon returning from the city, he goes out to his estate and mows the back pasture with the peasants. (He didn't have a ride-on back then. Try a swath!)
Then after Anna Karenina I read Enchantment by OS Card. In it the farmer says to his stuffed from eating, city-slicker cousin, "The problem is not to get her to cook less. The problem is to work hard enough that her meals are exactly right."
Yes, work is good.
Anyhow, I digress. I have never shared my collection on my blog and thought maybe you'd like to see them all together?
These two are by Turner as well:
This next artist shall remain nameless as I collect his stuff and I don't want the Ebay searchers to hack in on my man and drive the prices up. His stuff usually shows up on Ebay once a year and he often signs initial only. I know what the initials stand for because I have his full name on two of mine. The first three are now my dads---I thought they would look good with his Remingtons. I'd say the pioneers and the one that hangs over my piano are my next two favorites.
These last three are all by different artists. I think it's funny that I've got one airbrush with naked muses in the sky and another one with robed, winged angels. Some day I might hang them together just for laughs.
I would love to know more about this last one. On the back it says what I think is the artist's name and the year "34" in pencil. Wish he/she would have written more legibly. Anyone recognize the artist? It's a really fine, luminous painting to see in person---I believe the blue is a true natural pigment, something most of us can not afford to paint with/are not allowed to paint with anymore.
Airbrush artwork: just cheese to some, sustenance to me. There's one more in the attic. I'll get it down some day when it's not so hot.
No comments:
Post a Comment