Even though I am on a self-imposed junk moratorium (trying to use what I already have before acquiring more...)
you never know what you might find...I waited until the second day of the sale so I wouldn't be fighting any crowds...and I love looking through the detritus that remains rather than the finer items.
Part of the appeal of frequenting estate sales is not so much to buy...but to observe...a glimpse into a person's life...how they lived, what were their interests, where did they travel, who was in their family...this particular sale was in the "good" part of town...fancy homes, up on the bluff, with a view of the water...the deceased was a prominent attorney. Aside from the law books, there was an interesting collection of nautical maps...and many fruit crates...a large assortment of tools, neatly arranged along the back panel of a sturdy work bench which looked like the owner crafted himself.
I didn't buy much...old sheet music and two sets of stencils...but my most interesting finds were in the recycled paper bins at the curb...waiting for pick-up...heaps of old law forms...most of them blank...with their yellowing edges and elegant black face fonts...free for the taking; perfect fodder for collage backgrounds. There was a box of old pencils and pens...I dug out a rusty pair of scissors.
The appeal of working with old and well-loved items is the story they can tell...once I get my treasures home, I look them over...and listen if they have any stories to tell...and then I get my camera...
and do a little photo editing...
More and more, I've been finding myself drawn to documenting what I hear...
its been influencing my art work of late...and was the impetus for this latest creation...
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| "eye witness" |
and the motivation behind this collage I just completed...
will this weekend yield any treasures? still too early to tell...
