Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Six weeks

I have about six weeks to have all the work made that is going to get made for the upcoming shows I have in November and December. I work soooo slow, I'm just not sure how much work I'm going to have for these shows, but whatever I have, I have, it won't be from lack of working!
These little guys turned out so nice. They take a long time to fiddle with and I can't get nearly what they are worth since they are so small, but they will be nice for folks that can just buy a little something. They should be tree ornaments, maybe I'l attach something that they can be hung with...... then they can cost more, right?!


As promised here is a photo of the book I bought from the very inspiring artist Candace Thomas. I have had in the back of my mind a narrative for some of my barns based on slavery in the South and the little slave cabins I used to visit when I lived in SC. My issue with this is that I am a white girl, and although I had my share of childhood trauma, I really have no idea how to get my head around being a slave or a descendant of one. How do I speak to this or own it, when it is not a part of my own past. Except, as Candace pointed out, it really is a part of my past if I lived in the South. It was all around me growing up in the 60's in South Carolina. So maybe I can speak to it, and Candace, as a very brilliant and fierce African American woman gave me some very good advise and suggestions on how to do it. So, it's perking and I'm back to thinking about this subject again, so maybe I have to do something about it. The subject doesn't seem to want to leave my brain. I don't want to get all political and angry with it, I actually want to celebrate the little houses that African Americans lived in and made homes for their families. They sang, they laughed, they made beautiful quilts, they taught their children, they prayed. These homes celebrated lives, just like anyone's home, and this is all jumbled in my head right now.
I'm going to try and work some of this out this week and see where it goes. Nothing like having a huge deadline and experimenting with new subject matter to make your head explode!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Go for it Tracey! ... don't over-think it and get bogged down in all the race issues. Trust your judgement and outlook on it all, you won't go wrong. As for adding a whole new area, when you should be focusing on work for shows... well, this just might help you get over that line sooner.

Always go with your gut. It's done you fine so far!

Linda Starr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anna M. Branner said...

I agree with Scott. You'll be writing from your own valuable place in the history of it all.

LOVE the queen anne's lace decal...and the picture of the farmer and the mules? I have a picture almost exactly like that of my grandfather that was published in an (atlanta?) newspaper back in the 50s!

I would definitely buy one of those sweet little barns.

Tracey Broome said...

Hey guys, thanks for the comments! That's why I put this out there, I always get such great input!!!! I really appreciate your thoughts :)
Can you imagine, 40 acres with a MULE!

Unknown said...

These are beautiful...