A few years ago, we did a festival in Nashville in an old airplane hangar. As he sometimes does, David made a few pieces specifically based off the theme and I think they turned out really cool.
We're getting ready for our big show in Bell Buckle this weekend. If you're around Middle Tennessee, come say hello. We won't have our booth number until Friday evening, but come wander the show and check out all the cool stuff in Bell Buckle.
Thanks for reading!
~Elisabeth
This coming weekend, October 15th and 16th, we will be in Bell Buckle, TN ("Close to home, but a world away") for the 40th annual Webb School Art and Craft Festival. Here is the description from the Chamber of Commerce:
"40th Annual Webb School Art and Craft Festival
Where: Historic Bell Buckle, Tennessee
When: Saturday, October 15, 2016 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday, October 16, 2016 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Who: Sponsored by the Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce and The Webb School
Tucked away among the rolling hills of Tennessee lies the historic town of Bell Buckle. The quaint little town celebrates the third weekend in October every year with an event as colorful as the autumn leaves. Eager shoppers bursting with excitement come to explore and find the one of kind items only this premier show offers. The 40th year of this perennial fall favorite will be held the weekend of October 15th and 16th showcasing an array of new and returning artists sure to please and impress."
We are so excited to be part of this event for the very first time. We've never been there, but it sounds like a fascinating little place. By little, I mean a population of 500 or so. But from what I've read, the town basically BECOMES the festival. And there's food galore and over 500 booths! It sounds like the most charming little town but it has a world-renowned preparatory academy (Webb School). If you're anywhere near Middle Tennessee, please come find us. I'll try to post an update once we know our map location.
Also, I apologize for not posting about tools and techniques. My blog app is not loading photos properly and it's very frustrating. So bear with me while I work out some blogging kinks.
Other updates- to anyone who has read past blog posts...our dog is better :) We're gearing up for a big festival in Nashville in November (Crafty Bastards) and hopefully a Christmas sale in Louisville in December. So it's busy around here.
We hope to see some of you soon at a show and as always, thanks for reading and for supporting art!
~~Elisabeth
There are some questions that get asked a lot at festivals and I'm going to answer a few tonight.
1) How long do they take to make?
David's answer is generally "Anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on how obsessed I get".
Each brick was made individually and this was definitely at least a few days
2) How many have you made?
"Over 4,000. I've been doing it for about 12 years now and no two are alike".
3) I bet you have weird dreams.
"I don't remember my dreams usually. I only sleep about 4 hours a night".
This has been true the whole time we've been married. It's not unusual for David to get up at 4am and start sculpting. And drinking large amounts of coffee.
4) Where does your inspiration come from?
"Bad sci-fi and comic books"
5) To me- I bet he's weird to live with.
Actually, despite the art and the intimidating appearance, David is one of the most down-to-earth people I know. He saves turtles, watches chick flicks with me, cooks and does housework. He's good with kids and helps everyone he can. So, weird maybe. But only in a good way :)
6) Can you make me a _______?
More than likely, he can. If you can describe it or it exists, he can usually make you a version of it.
7) Do you do gallery shows?
David has had quite a few gallery shows. Not so much since we really started doing festivals. But he has been part of many group shows and we are always kind of on the lookout for more gallery opportunities.
That's it for tonight. Next post, I'd like to get into a detailed description of tools and techniques.
Thanks for reading!
~~Elisabeth
Another story with no pictures, mostly to protect identities. We've done many festivals over the last 10 years and most of them have been great. Each one has unique characteristics that make it stand out. For example, Huffines was a festival north of Dallas and it took place in a shady park with a path through it. There were hay bales set up everywhere and we arrived at dawn to make our way through this beautiful magical setting. Hermitage Fest in Tennessee has a fantastic artist lounge and they provide lunch. Again, a beautiful park-like setting. These are the pleasant memories I hold on to :) But sometimes....there is a show.... a show that will forever have a place in the dark recesses of memory....
I won't say where this took place except to tell you, we were FAR from home. Like 15 hours away. We traveled that far because many people told us it would be a good show for us. A "great fit" and we would "sell out!" Where should I begin.
It was HOT. And the booths were set up back to back and side by side so there was little to no air flow. The festival was on a main road in a major urban area and also happened to be on the strip with all the clubs and bars. So not only was there a constant stench of urine, but the bartenders came out regularly to dump the leftover beer ONTO THE SIDE OF THE STREET. So yeah. Bad smells.
This festival also had no amenities for artists, as in no bathrooms to use, nowhere to step into to cool off. Not even really an office if you had a complaint or a need of some kind. So....port a potties all weekend with no way to wash your hands. Did I mention the heat??? So David got hot at one point and almost passed out due to lack of a breeze and no escape. He ended up having to step into a bar and order something just to be able to sit and cool off.
So we're dirty, hot, exhausted, nauseous from the smells and there's no way to make it better. Might be worth it if the sales supported this kind of weekend. But no...we BARELY broke even. It was truly the festival from HELL. I was walking around looking at work and mentioned to someone that we were also there selling. They asked where we were from and when I told them, they said, "Wow...You're far from home" and in that moment it hit me. WE WERE SO FAR FROM HOME FOR THIS TERRIBLE FESTIVAL. I think that show was kind of a turning point that made us realize that traveling that far isn't necessary and that we have other options. Other people do really well at this show and I'm glad for them. But I personally will never go back there. If David decides to try it again, I'll probably have him drop me off at a spa on his way out of town :)
Thanks for reading-
~~Elisabeth
I want to add- on the way back from Huffines, our son got the stomach flu. So we spent the whole drive with him puking into a bag while I tried to write a college paper on Teddy Roosevelt using books that were published in the early 1900's. We've had some trying times.
As much as people love buying artwork that came only from an artist's brain, lots of people also enjoy buying a head of that one favorite singer, actor or character. Here's a selection of the Twentyheads versions of some favorites-
Johnny
Freddy
Lemmy
Joker
Bowie
Jason
Michael Myers
Pennywise
Leatherface
Prince
As always, thanks for reading!
~~Elisabeth
You know how they say people really notice teeth and smiles? Apparently, that's true even when you're made of polymer. At any show or festival, David always gets asked, "What are his teeth made out of?" at least once. The teeth are made from a variety of materials. So here is a selection of smiles and up close photos of creepy dudes and their teeth.
This snaggly guy, "When You're Finally Alone", has a mouth full of coyote bones.
More coyote bone teeth:
"He's Still A Creep" (very true)
Coyote knuckle bone teeth:
The Funny Bone Test
Bone segments:
Nothing To Spare
Staples:
Predator
Snake ribs:
They Still Make Them
Shell fragments:
Invaded From Within
Pennywise has a nice friendly smile made of translucent Sculpey:
On that pleasant note, thanks for reading!
~~Elisabeth
Due to circumstances, dogs, jobs and various other reasons, there will not be a blog post this week. If you're new here and would like to see more recent work, check out twentyheads on Instagram and Facebook. You can see works in progress and newly completed pieces as well. Next week, come back for a post about teeth- types, techniques and tools. If you're in the Nashville area or willing to travel, mark your calendars for November 5th down in the Gulch. We will be at Crafty Bastards when it comes to Nashville for the first time ever. It's been going on in DC for years so this is exciting!
Thanks for understanding and for reading!
~~Elisabeth (and David, of course)
Snap Pound
We had a really good post planned for today. Had the whole thing scheduled. And then our dog got sick. We've had Snap since 2005 and we truly thought she wouldn't be with us after today. Luckily, with some medication and a little time, the vet thinks she may pull through ok and be with us a bit longer. If the meds don't work within a week, we have some serious thinking to do. So...I'm sorry there isn't a post about artwork today.
Tomorrow we will be set up at Monsters and Merriment at Fontanel Nashville (and our son is dog-sitting :) If you're in the area, come say hi!
Also, good healing vibes/prayers/happy dog thoughts for our woolly bear dog would be appreciated.
Thanks for reading-
Elisabeth
One late summer day in 1985, I was 12 and had just finished a week long cheerleader camp that my older neighbor ran. I was out in the yard with my best friend at her grandmother's house, practicing our dance moves when suddenly, the neighbor boy came over. According to him, this was a monumental moment in his life. My monumental moment came 3 years later when we had a class together and suddenly, I was in love. He was so opposite me and anyone else I knew. I grew up on classical music and jazz. He listened to The Doors. I was obedient, got good grades and was in band. He wore a cool overcoat and stood on the table we shared in class just because I said he wouldn't.
Fast forward to 1991, through a year long relationship and then a breakup or two. High school was behind us and we got back together, and got engaged by Christmas. No one seemed surprised. It was just always meant to be. We planned a wedding but then my mom had to go home to England for a family emergency. We moved an hour away to college and one Monday afternoon at 4pm, we ducked in to the Justice of the Peace office and walked out married. We have no pictures of that day. I don't even know what I was wearing. But I know that I never had a single second of doubt about what we were doing. So many years ago, he saw a dorky 12 year old girl and saw his future wife. I saw a rebel with a genius mind and a pure heart. Two grown kids and 25 or so years later......
Just bought our VW bus-1992
1994
Thanks for reading. We've been working and planning our next year's shows and I promise the next post will be art related.
~~Elisabeth
Recently, a middle school art teacher asked David to come speak to her art students and that's where we were today. Her art club students were also excited about the opportunity to meet David so we stayed until 4pm. It was a really wonderful day. Her classroom inspired *me* and I don't consider myself an artistic person.
I always thought seeing people experience David's work for the first time was the best thing. But today I got to see KIDS watch David work and they had so many thoughtful questions. If you're ever concerned about our youth or the future of the country, spend time with kids and try to inspire them with your own passion. I guarantee you'll see it differently. And thank the teachers you meet.
Anyway, the planned post for today involved teeth and that will be next week.
Thanks for reading!
~~Elisabeth
I've decided that for the next little while, I will be posting on Mondays and Fridays. I know it's Wednesday and here I am! But...I want to focus on getting the mailchimp newsletter and email subscription figured out and I only have so much time each week, unfortunately.
Here is the next place we will be (other than David speaking at a middle school tomorrow, which is too awesome for words. Can you imagine this kind of artist being the guest artist at your school???)
This is the description-
Saturday, September 17th- 10am to 10pm at Fontanel Nashville.
The Mansion at Fontanel is a 33,000 square foot log cabin and former home of Country Music legend and Hall of Fame member Barbara Mandrell is open for daily tours. This is the only “home of the star” tour in Nashville that you can actually go inside! The Mansion boasts over 20 rooms, 13 bathrooms, 5 fireplaces, 2 kitchens, an indoor pool and even an indoor shooting range.
Sounds like a fun day and evening and we hope to see some of you there.
Thanks for reading-
~~Elisabeth
Blogging from the road for the first time. Long post warning!
It's 9:40 am (10:40 up here in Louisville time) and the festival officially opens in 20 minutes, but there are people milling around. We left home at 4 am and started the 3 1/2 hour drive. After about an hour of interstate and nauseating hilly highway driving, we turned onto highway 101 North. This is one of the most beautiful drives I've ever experienced. Rolling hills covered in lush deep green grass, low lying areas blanketed in fog and beautiful farms are on both sides of the highway. There are fields full of cows and horses. One scrubby field had a cream and gray spotted miniature horse standing beside a bale of hay. I could have spent an hour walking along taking pictures (obviously....I took none so just trust me here. Or, go for a gorgeous summer drive). Edited: I took some on the drive back.
Taken on the way back, somewhere in Kentucky
The photos will never capture the cool air and fresh sweet scent of cut hay and the glimpses of little houses down in valleys
Apparently we left earlier last time (July 4th weekend) because we didn't get here to set up today until 9am, after most people were almost set up. Pulling in to set up when other booths are already up makes it more challenging, but we had very nice neighbors who understood when our booth stuff was spread all over the place. The weather is absolutely PERFECT and it's about time to wander and take some photos.
3pm. The weather is unbelievable. And the people we've met here are some of the friendliest anywhere.. We're in the NuLu district, also known as East Market District. According to nulu.org:
"NuLu is best known for its art galleries, specialty stores, antique shops and a growing number of local, upscale restaurants.
The term 'NuLu' is a portmanteau meaning 'New Louisville'. As home to the greenest commercial building in Kentucky, many historic restoration projects, as well as several restaurants offering organic and locally sourced ingredients, NuLu has emerged with a culture of sustainability."
What I've noticed is natural beauty in the middle of a city, but in a way that incorporates the best of both. And an interesting mix of architecture. When you get off the interstate to come down to the NuLu area, the area feels like a mix of an historical area, a neighborhood and a business district.
I love to see how areas mark their territory
Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School
Directly across the road from where our booth is, we can see the entrance to the Home for the Innocents. This is " a private, non-profit agency that has been in operation for 135 years, served over 7,000 children and their families last year. The Home provides services to assist those who are facing severe crisis". They care for abandoned, neglected and abused children, provide a home-like hospital environment for medically-fragile children and also offer services to children with autism and behavioral issues.
10:20 am, Sunday. Sitting in the booth on this glorious sunny morning, drinking my hotel coffee. We stay at the Airport Springhill Suites and it is incredible. Probably the best affordable hotel we've ever stayed at. Highly recommend. Last night for dinner, we followed the recommendation of some locals and went to Against the Grain. From their website-
"Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse is located in the southeast corner of Louisville Slugger Field at the corner of Jackson and Main Street. It is a former train station that features beautifully ornate industrial architecture, lending to the beauty of the dining room and brewhouse. Inside you will find one of the nations only operational, Victorian styled and 3 story 'showpiece' brewhouses. The copper clad 15 barrel brewhouse is complimented by eclectic pieces of art produced by Louisvillian artists."
David had the brisket and I had a "fun guy" mushroom burger. It was truly a memorable meal out and I finally tasted a beer I liked (Black Hearted Imp if you're looking for a dark beer with a really clean light flavor). And I don't even like or drink beer. David got Stranger Things after he realized he didn't like the dark beer. He said it was grapefruit-y and he would recommend it :)
Black -Hearted Imp
After dinner, we went to the riverfront and walked. Louisville is full of fascinating history and the waterfront area is a large part of it. It's nice to just be out together on a date in a city we loved instantly. There are so many bikes, families, dogs, interesting architecture and fun events. It quickly became a new favorite place to visit. Residents are very proud of their city. You regularly see people with Louisville and Cardinals shirts and LOTS of Fleur-de-lis (which is the seal of Louisville) shirts and tattoos.
I love places that put in the extra effort to make the streets beautiful.
This is the foot of the statue of Pee Wee Reese. I took a picture of the whole statue, but this is more entertaining and true to what our time together is like.
Louisville take its baseball seriously.
Walking along the waterfront
Walking in the steps of great minds (minus Andrew Jackson :)
As I'm writing this, it is now Monday afternoon and my computer AND phone have been giving me all kinds of issues with this post. We had a great Sunday at the Flea Off and if you're ever in the area you should check it out. It is a really good mix of music, food, drinks and vendors selling all kinds of fun things. Terrariums, vintage clothing, aromatherapy jewelry, regular jewelry, records and even shrunken heads ;) There is a cocktail/beer vendor that sells Kentucky Mules, Bloody Marys, "Flea Tea" which is iced tea with vodka in it and other drinks. And of course, there are food trucks! There is also one thing (below) that I've never seen at any of the festivals we have done- seating!
I don't know if you can really make it out in this photo. But they have set up all these shaded sitting areas with comfy chairs and plants. Up there near the donut truck, there is a dj playing music and a dance platform where people perform. The organizers work really hard to make this a place for people to congregate and have fun.
I don't know what "chicken shit bingo" is. But it sounds fun, doesn't it?
I think taking donations like this is a great idea and I saw lots of people giving money. This event is every month and seems to be really popular with the locals. I am so glad we got to be a part of it.
We went to Louisville for the first time back over July 4th weekend and loved it instantly. It feels like a place that holds onto the past in a way of honoring what was important, but also moves forward and embraces new ideas. It has a funky 90s vibe while also being a very environmentally friendly city. We wanted to see as much as possible. On that visit, my brother told me, "Do not leave Louisville without visiting Cave Hill Cemetery". So we made sure we made the time and it was so worth it. This is where Muhammad Ali was buried. We never saw his gravesite, but we did see a tent with a guard standing nearby back in a corner and I am pretty sure that was it. Colonel Sanders was also buried here. We had a nice rainy early morning drive through this beautiful peaceful place.
Cave Hill is a 296 acre Victorian era cemetery and arboretum. James Irvin was a steamboat captain and was on the board of Cave Hill Cemetery.
Lots of geese and beautiful old trees
Cave Hill National Cemetery is about 4.1 acres within the almost 300 acres of Cave Hill Cemetery. It is extremely moving to see row after row of Civil War graves.
So back to this glorious Labor Day weekend. As always, we met some really wonderful people. And dogs.
This dude rode in style with his own stroller and a tupperware container of water.
Dino (the bigger one) made a slightly reluctant friend
David got some work done and people that came in got to see how a piece is made. Kids always love this.
After two very full days, it was time to pack back up and head home.
Giant box of boxes- easier to pull on a dolley
A huge thanks to the Flea Off Market organizers, vendors and visitors for making this event what it is. And thanks to the city of Louisville for being such a fantastic place. Your city and the people in it are truly awesome and we will be back.
We aren't selfie professionals.
But we make it work.
Thanks for reading!
~~Elisabeth and David
There's something about me that can sometimes be very helpful to David. I have trypophobia, which is defined as an "intense, irrational fear of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes or bumps". If you're curious about having it or not, there are online tests you can put yourself through. This test made me literally physically ill. So.....below is a collection of heads that have made me very uncomfortable. On many occasion, David will bring a head to me and if I recoil in horror, he walks away satisfied. If I say, "Oh, he's cute", he'll say, "Off to do more work". He calls me his "Gross-O-Meter". Of course, this is all in fun and although it does make me feel slightly nauseous, it's a sacrifice I'm happy to make :) Enjoy.
I don't know if those disturb anyone else or not. At one point, we had one head that I felt like giving away just so I wouldn't see it any more :) But, even when they're creepy, they're still (usually) pretty cute.
Thanks for reading--
~~ Elisabeth
I'll be back Monday with a post from the road- headed to Louisville for the Flea Off this weekend!
We have a small private collection of heads on our wall. These are pieces that we just can't let go of and of all those, there is one that's my absolute favorite. I thought it would be fun to show this piece as a series of small sections first.
Watch gears
David was given some watch crystals and that made him start thinking about what else he could use from a watch and also the narrative around watches, time, the passing of time, etc... And then he bought a bag of assorted watch parts on Ebay.
I love the way the gears frame his eyes
There is something about this piece that just speaks to me. I love the tiny gears and the way the metal looks against the clay.
The picture was from a Smithsonian Magazine article about the Depression Era.
I think this piece would appeal to anyone who likes Steampunk. I asked David if that was part of his inspiration and he said no, but Steampunk being popular increased the availability of watch gears on Ebay.
Watch hands
I love the symmetry and vertical lines of this section.
Plug from the vacuum tube in a guitar amp
When you combine it all--
On the sides of his head are parts from the shutter mechanism on a 1960s camera
At some point, probably David's senior year, it was decided that he would have a student show in the gallery on campus. He started planning his display and refreshments. I seem to remember him thinking not many people would show up. He had this wacky idea to serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and circus peanuts. He worked for hours, hanging a fishing line grid from the ceiling so the heads were hanging free. This was before the boxes and the collage. The room was a maze of hanging faces, some with bug parts in them and those were the "creepy" ones.
Opening night will forever be one of my favorite memories. This was before Dallas. It truly was the FIRST time these had been seen. I sat at the back of the gallery, across from the entrance so I could see people's faces. They literally lit up when they walked in. I was the proudest in that moment that I had ever been.
At that time, the heads were sold with the idea that they could hang from your rear view from fishing line. Lots of them sold that week. It was fun to go in and see the sign up sheet where people committed to buying (there were a few bidding wars). My dad had come to visit from Tennessee and he got to see the show too. It was exciting for all of us to walk in there throughout the week and see people enjoying themselves. And it was a nice little chunk of money, but more than that it was the first step on a path. We're much farther down the path now. But it all started in a cozy house in a lovely little town.
Our time there ended after a December 2004 graduation and a Spring 2005 move back to TN. The move involved a vehicle break down, an 18 hour day of sitting in a repair shop with 3 cats (our dog died right before this move) and cramming 4 of us in a UHaul made for 3 passengers while towing our car on a trailer. We sold our house the day before to a man who bought it for his college student son. His last words to us were, "I'm sorry my son will probably destroy your house". So yeah. There have been some bumps along the way and looking back makes me feel tired. But we both feel that we wouldn't be where we are now if we hadn't taken this road.
Thanks for reading--
Elisabeth
The end of a long difficult journey- graduating Magna Cum Laude
Please stop by next week as I actually discuss ARTWORK and break down a piece into parts and the process for that specific piece.
We settled in to our new home and town. We found the library (very important when you have small kids and you're homeschooling). It was in the basement of their "city hall". Four years later, when we said goodbye to the librarians who had become friends, they reminded us of our first meeting and how much we had missed back home. Make friends with librarians!
That first summer was hot, much like our summers in Tennessee. We swam in the lakes (town lake and Lake Erie) and at the swimming pool. We went to the "beach" and marveled at how a lake can have waves. We drove to Canada to visit a friend and everything was new and exciting. And then...September 11, 2001. Family started calling because they saw on the news that a plane crashed in PA. It was about an hour from us, but like everyone else probably felt- it was all so close.
In September, we started looking forward to Fall. October 5th, it started snowing and eventually stopped....in April. In Tennessee, snow means a day (or a week!) off. Up there, especially with lake effect snow, snow means nothing. We didn't see the road for 6 months and life just went on. There was one really dramatic day where it was 70 degrees at 2pm and by 4pm, there was a blizzard and even college classes were cancelled. I went to pick David up and found him walking home, in ankle deep snow, carrying all his books and art supplies.
Life was hard for those 4 years. We loved the town and the people. But David was working 3 days a week for 12 hours a day, and going to school 3 days a week. Some of those school days were 9am to 9pm. We had Sundays together and that was it. It's all a blur now, but during this time came the first polymer man. He was a figure for stop motion animation class and he was built on a wire armature. He also wore a tutu and we watched him become an animated movie for school assignments. We all got attached to that little guy and when the day came for him to be disassembled...We all grieved :)
At some point, David was playing around with the clay and suddenly, before us was a clown head. And then another head emerged. Huh. They were so cool. Seemed like he was onto something and REALLY enjoyed making them. They seemed like they were evolving. The path was shifting and soon, the turning point would come and we didn't even know it.
Next up- The heads make their public debut.
Thanks for reading-
~~Elisabeth
So, we loaded up the rented van with 2 kids, assorted toys and all our crazy ideas and headed north to see our new town. Oh, and the college. And to find a house to buy. Yes, I know. We were 27 or so and had a little college behind us. David was transferring as a non-traditional student which felt like a true understatement.
We pulled into this tiny town with a lake in the middle of it and checked in to our motel. The girl at the desk, upon hearing that we were moving there, said, "WHY would anyone move HERE?" Ok. So far, so good. The next day, we went and met our new friends and as an introvert with a good dose of social anxiety, let me just say I was anxious. We drove past this little road that went down to the lake and drove to the other side of town. Their house was on the opposite side of the lake and I thought, "If I could live anywhere, it would be over there in that adorable neighborhood". It felt like an impossible dream.
I don't remember touring the college, but I know we did. And we found a realtor who showed us 3 houses. This tiny town is known as a resort area and the population doubles with college students. So, housing wasn't terribly abundant. One house had the water heater in a little closet off the back of the house. Did I mention this town is up north? Where it snows 250 inches in one year?
Then we found it. The tiny (600 Sq ft tiny) house 2 blocks up from the lake, in that neighborhood I had gazed at longingly. We could see the glistening lake from our mailbox. It was a little brick house with real wood walls, not fake paneling. Basement. Backyard lined with mature pine trees. We loved it. In May, we went back up for the inspection and the inspector said, "If I were buying a house, I'd buy this one". June- another trip up to close. July- we loaded up a moving van with our entire life, including an upright piano, 3 cats and a dog, and moved to Edinboro, PA on our 9th wedding anniversary. David drove the UHaul. I drove the car. We each had a kid. I had the cats, he had the dog. We pulled in at 2am, backing that huge truck in with all its beeping and noise and started a new life.
Starting this blog was a little overwhelming for me. Although I've always enjoyed writing, it's different when you put it OUT THERE, even if deep down you think no one will ever even read it! :) So thank you for being here and for being patient as I work out the kinks. I am in the process of setting up subscription options, like email notifications, so you can find out when a new post goes up. In the meantime, the plan is to publish a new post Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I started working on the email subscription, but we're having a special lunch for our daughter (who starts college tomorrow!) so it will have to wait a little bit. My goal is to have email subscriptions and possibly a twentyheads.com newsletter available in about a week. So again, thank you and please check back. Part 2 of storytime goes up tomorrow.
Thanks for reading!
~~Elisabeth
Hope you all have an enjoyable lazy Sunday
This is a story with no pictures, mainly because it was so long ago. If you choose to not read, that's fine too.
Back in 2000, we had a 6 year old and a 3 year old and were living in an apartment. We had big dreams, but they were somewhat vague and involved art and traveling. At one point, in an effort to gain focus and stop distracting ourselves, we gave up TV. These were the quiet days before cell phones so we had time in our heads to ponder. It became clear that what we really needed to do was pursue the original dream we had- art school. An animation program, to be specific.
So...being the research-oriented person I am, I started looking up animation programs. Yes, we had Internet (and indoor plumbing!) I gather and condense information as a way of life so I basically had this list of schools. One of them had won the Chuck Jones Award for Excellence (or something similar) and seemed good. State school so tuition was decent. Great program. Good size with smaller classes. But...it was 600 miles away in Pennsylvania.
David was really excited by that one so we sent away for info and mentioned it to a few people. The first response we got was, "You're kidding! I know someone who lives there. And she's an artist!" Someone that lives in a town of 7000 people 600 miles away. Seemed like a sign.
We got the info and made the decision to move there. It was crazy, but it was right. David applied, got accepted and we started telling people. Then we started the moving process.
We made contact with the artist we were introduced to (she and her husband said we could stay with them for the weekend) and my dad rented us a van for the drive up. We went up in April, knowing we were moving there but knowing nothing about what THERE even was. Looking back...yes, it was crazy. But it was adventure!
Next up- Part 2- The Trip
Yes, they're real squirrel paws. Most people are fascinated by the pieces with animal parts. A few are grossed out, but you'd be surprised by how many people know someone else who collects animal bones. David gets many questions about this part. Every once in a while, the question is, "Why?".
In his words, he is taking something that has been discarded, by people or by nature, and giving it a new life. It is forever commemorated in art. The whole process is done in the most respectful way and no animal has ever been harmed or killed for his art. Each animal is picked up as roadkill or given to him by someone who picked it up. They have to "look like they just fell asleep".
Some wonder about the legality. We live in Tennessee and our roadkill laws would even allow us to eat what we pick up (this does not happen, I promise you). Birds are protected federally and are never used.
We live on an acre of land backed up to a river and the land is overgrown behind our house. So there's a perfect place for decomposition to take place. Down in the woods, there are some wire frames that keep other predators away. Anthills are often used to speed up the process. I play no role in this process, but I find it fascinating and appreciate the respect that David shows for all creatures, living and dead. We live in a house of rescue animals so there's plenty of respect around here :)
Lots of times, the bones are gifts or trades. Just recently, a friend showed up at a festival with some goodies. I want to repeat again- animals are never killed for these pieces. David would never encourage anyone to kill anything, even an insect, just for bones or parts. We were once on a Cub Scout trip and one of the boys said, "Mr. Pound- I killed this bug for you!" David quickly made it clear that that is not how we treat living things.
Once you get past the squeamish factor and know that this is something that has died and is returning to nature, it can truly be fascinating and a tribute to nature.
These creatures will live on forever in a brand new form.
Thanks for reading!
~~Elisabeth