Last year Rose bought me a book on water colors in anticipation of our trip to Cambria. It is titled Create Dramatic Coastal Scenes in Watercolor by Carlton Plummer. I have been rereading it the past several early mornings as the author/artist paints works that are impressionist yet involve a lot of technique and detail, an approach that I especially like and appreciate. At first glance his works seem strictly impressionist with a lot of wet into wet technique. However as you study the specifics of his particular paintings, you discover many interesting detail painting strokes. I was especially struck by his description of the brushes he uses and the sheer number of brushes that he uses. His illustrative picture showed close to thirty brushes. Obviously his style is not as "easy" as it appears!
While living in the Midwest in the mid-seventies, I had no thoughts of water color painting let alone techniques of so doing. I was into antiques and old stuff. My family and I would attend auctions in search of old furniture and memorabilia that I could refinish. It was not unusual for us to attend two auctions a week. It even got to the point where we knew the auctioneers and had our favorites. Some we especially liked for the sing-song sound and cadence of their delivery. Some we liked just because they seemed to be nice people. Some we learned were rather dishonest and we simply avoided attending their auctions.
I especially enjoyed going to farm auctions. I missed my farm roots and looked forward to talking to real people ~ farmers and small town folk. I can still remember the causal talks I had with them and sage advise received. I specifically remember one time talking to a local farmer while waiting for a wood lathe, stand, and turning tools to come up for auction. I wanted it. They were selling the complete package as one unit. As we were "shooting the breeze", I heard, "sold for $30" come for the auctioneer. I turned to discover that it was "my" wood lathe and equipment. In disappointment, I turned to the farmer and exclaimed, "that was a helluva buy!" His slow reply still resonates in my mind, "only if you need a wood lathe, sonny." So true.
Interestingly, at that same auction, I ended up with a cardboard box of full of stuff that I didn't "need". Thirty-five years later, why or how I ended up with that particular box escapes me. Often times they would pack up household contents into card board boxes, carry them outside and place them on hay wagons that had been parked in the yard. Perhaps I had scoped out the boxes and determined that a particular box contained a butter paddle or some such thing that I wanted. I'm sure I bid on the wrong box as I got it for $1 ~ nobody wanted it. As I went through the box, the only thing that interested me was a old worn leather pouch. It was letter shaped with snap clasp on the flap part of the pouch. When I opened the pouch I discovered about twenty five or so water color brushes of various sizes and shapes ~ obviously well used and well cared for. I still have the leather pouch and a couple of the brushes in my shop. Over the years, long before I became interested in water colors, I slowly "used up" the brushes in furniture refinishing projects. Oh how I wish I still had those brushes.
As I sit here this morning drinking my morning coffee, I think about those brushes and the untold story of thirty five years ago that I will never know. Whose brushes were they? Woman? Man? Were they still alive when I came upon them? Or, did they belong to the person for whom the estate sale took place? Was she/he a good artist? Were any of the resultant water color paintings in that old farm house? The artist certainly believed in having a lot of brushes as does Carlton Plummer. I think of this untold story and I am sad. Why? I don't know. Untold stories, old age, opportunities lost, $1 for something so valuable, unknown disrespect, not knowing? I, truly, don't know.
Gordon, et.al.
No comments:
Post a Comment