Home Is Where the Art Is

A HOUSE ADORNED WITH HANDIWORK
ACCUSTOMED, CEREMONIOUS

To go along with this crewel embroidery
by Gerry's maternal aunt, Margaret Saucell (b 1931),
here are two poems by Portland, Oregon, poet
Hazel Hall (1886 - 1924),
in which she describes the beauty of needlework for art's sake
and the motivation for its creation, residing in the heart of the artist:

Heavy Threads

When the dawn unfolds like a bolt of ribbon
Thrown through my window,
I know that hours of light
Are about to thrust themselves into me
Like omnivorous needles into listless cloth,
Threaded with the heavy colours of the sun.
They seem altogether too eager,
To embroider this thing of mine,
My Day,
Into the strict patterns of an altar cloth;
Or at least to stitch it into a useful garment.
But I know they will do nothing of the kind.
They will prick away,
And when they are through with it
It will look like the patch quilt my grandmother made
When she was learning to sew.

~ & ~

Two Sewing

The Wind is sewing with needles of rain.
With shining needles of rain
It stitches into the thin
Cloth of earth. In,
In, in, in. Oh, the wind has often sewed with me.
One, two, three.

Spring must have fine things
To wear like other springs.
Of silken green the grass must be
Embroidered. One and two and three.
Then every crocus must be made
So subtly as to seem afraid
Of lifting colour from the ground;
And after crocuses the round
Heads of tulips, and all the fair
Intricate garb that Spring will wear.
The wind must sew with needles of rain,
With shining needles of rain,
Stitching into the thin
Cloth of earth, in,
In, in, in,
For all the springs of futurity.
One, two, three.
[emphasis in original]

Click to read two more poems by Hall: Hours & Mending

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Two weeks ago, I posted Ten Movie Images.
This week, the focus is artwork,
including additional creations by Margaret Saucell
and examples in several other mediums by various friends & relatives.

I pulled this collection together when my friend,
artist Michele Tremblay invited me to the week-long
Art in My Own Home Challenge. Thanks Michele!

Day #1:
This beautiful aspect of my house
was painted by my lovely daughter-in-law
interior designer Cathleen Campbell McCartney
Home Is Where the Heart Is

Day #2:
This delicate miniature watercolor
was painted by my talented son Ben McCartney
(age 8 at the time) in 1998 at the
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Summer Camp:
Still Life with Art Supplies

Day #3:
Intricate 3-D String Art, hanging in our study
by my son Sam McCartney

Day #4: watercolor birthday gift by Natasha
Flowers Floating Underwater

Day #5:
Blog - themed presents
from artist Carolyn Rathbun George

Day #6:
Needlework by Gerry's Auntie Margaret

Day #7:
Cardinal Christmas Serenade
by Charles Wysocki
[not a friend or relative!]

Bonus Day:
Seascape, Ocean City, New Jersey
by Gerry McCartney

See also: Ekphrasis by Gerry

******************

Next Fortnightly Post
Thursday, January 28th

Between now and then, read
THE QUOTIDIAN KIT ~ Tapestry or Travesty
my shorter, almost daily blog posts
www.dailykitticarriker.blogspot.com

Looking for a good book? Try
KITTI'S LIST
my running list of recent reading
www.kittislist.blogspot.com

Another Gift From Auntie Margaret
When Ben Was Born ~ 1990