Well, it has been a while since it happened. And of course, I have never met her in person. But she is a woman of mystery and intrigue and art supplies ...and I share her blood.
My Great aunt Olive died before I was born, and although she is not someone I have heard too much about, or read journals from, and she's not in any big famous books about anything important (at least not that I know of), she has become a bit of a celebrity in my imagination.
You see, when my grandfather died several years ago, there was practically an archaeological dig at the cottage he had lived and collected in for about 20 years. It was a time to maybe discover and understand a bit of his history, and in doing so, some interesting objects were found, around which to I seem to have built myself a wonderful, beautiful image of an aunt I never knew I loved so much.
To make a long, long, ...tiring-ly long story significantly shorter, I'll just tell you that this expedition into the past was a rather arduous one, but it yielded several interesting things. Not the least of which was a peek into the artistic life of Aunt Olive. There were a few boxes that had been saved since she died, when my father was about six.
In the boxes there were some cool things:
- bottles - all sorts of small sizes
- Dusty grey metal lids, corks, glass vials.
- Hand written labels... in pen and ink... written in her hand, worn and weathered.
- Bottles of magic
- Crystal ball stoppers
- Paper packets of coloured metallic powders
- Tools of the trade
It was then I fell in love with her - as I looked at the inventory of amazing finds, when I realized that my affinity for bottled inks, pen nibs, papers, painting, and collecting art supplies was hereditary. And it was then as well that the imagined thoughts of what she was like started forming. She was a graphic artist, a painter, a calligrapher, a carver, a builder and maker of things.
A "Jacqueline of all trades".
Unlimited.
And I still imagine what it would have been like to know her... would she have shown me how to do things? how to make things? Would she have been kind? Was she as full of interesting stories as I imagine she was?
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6 comments:
oh erika, i remember you mentioning aunt olive to me about a year ago... she was vivid in my mind then, and now even more so... thank you for sharing her mystery with us.
Erika this photo is lovely
and everytime i look i see more colours
do you see the dark wine red?
i agree with you, gillian... so rich and so muted at the same time. so so so so beautiful.
Good 'eve Ms Erika,
Read the beautiful story of your Grandma and her collection of bottles, viles, and very sweet you have them in your possession, too!
I guess her skills are re-born in your hands, eyes and vision, too! You mentioned you are into the similar art(s) and you love to express yourself as such! I'd like to see or get a peek at some of your work some day!
Cheers, Roly ;-)
Erika,
Thanks!
Your aunt died when I was just a young boy of perhaps 4 or 5, and my memories of her are few, and faint.
You have just added a new layer; thanks!
I think your granddad would have been really happy if he could have read your
blog.
and if your granddad had had any time for computers, he might have pressed the correct keys.
Dad
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