Framing Comparisons

It's a mild, quiet evening after the second of several very hot days we're having in Southern California, and I'm sitting here with the windows open. I just found out that the question of how to frame my friend Quince's birthday gift has been rendered moot, because I've decided to send the canvases to her tomorrow morning, and I haven't succeeded in framing them yet. Tonight I learned that she could use some cheering up, and I want to send them out to her now.

Isn't making something yourself, whether it's functional or ornamental, with a particular person in mind, a great feeling? I love it. It doesn't even have to be perfect. It's heartfelt, and that's what matters.

Anyway, after promising to myself that I'd quit being a big baby, and share more of my painting and the stages of my work, I will again post a photo of the canvases, now that they've had some color added to them, and some gloss medium layered over them.



And here is the framework I've been dealing with for a couple of days, to try to unite them.




I kept trying to make it work. But now I can only say that it looks to me like a cut-out for cabling at the back of a console. I was about to start over on it, but I was glad to have a good reason not to.

It began as an idea. Then it became two pieces of foam core glued together, with collaging, then stenciling, then duct tape. I was just about to put a Caesar salad on it and some shaved Parmesan, and put it in the fridge, but then I thought, hold on, Cupcake.

(Sometimes at a moment of revelation, I call myself Cupcake. A bit of trivia.)

I said, 'Hold on, Cupcake." You might just be able to use this sturdy little thing for something else some day. What if, for example, you find yourself with an over-abundance of 3 year olds and some lunch sack puppets? At just such a time, this thing would come in handy.

Now, here are some frames I find appealing. Even, dare I say, alluring.

I said to my friend, Jeanette, 'Cupcake,' I said, 'We need you to mosaic two frames for the Kauai pictures we want to put on the mantle. Would you mind? And would you buy the frames and bring them over and use your own tiles because we don't have any?'

Naturally, after that kind of offer, she did. And I absolutely love them. I love them!



But there is no reason at all for me to compare my frame-making skills with Jeanette's. I mean, making mosaics, and foam core construction, are two different disciplines, and they must be treated with the respect they each deserve. I learned that foam core was the first choice as plans were being laid for the Taj Mahal. The only reason they didn't use it was because they didn't know what foam core was, so they had to fall back on mosaics. That's a little known fact, but I think I can support it. If I ever want to, I can try to support it. And it only goes to show you that we can't jump to making comparisons. Every moment, every creation, is unique and worthy.


Anyway, before I continue working on my puppet stage, I want to leave you with this picture of our prickly-pear cactus, which are blooming now. Yay! I love these babies! One of the blooms is clearly prettier than the other one, sure.
But I love them!





Next up: Chris spends the weekend comparing Wetzel's and Auntie Anne's Cinnamon/Sugar pretzels.