Awkward Artist: Part 3

 I've been having a good run on Etsy lately.

I've been selling thrift store finds as well as some random things from collections that were spending more time in the attic than on display.

I've also sold a few original creations on Etsy, which still weirds me out.

The first time I ever offered any art for sale was a charity auction for UNH PLAN organization, and I was just happy that my art got some bids, but then it went higher than I expected.

And then following that, I displayed some pieces in Dos Amigos, just for fun, and someone emailed me, wanting to purchase one of the mixed media collages.

I was encouraged by some of my friends to sell things on Etsy, so I reluctantly listed a few things. One of my mixed media collages was my first sale, a couple years ago:

Since then, I've sold a few of my little windchimes, which is great because it just gives me more reason to make more, and more room to display them:

And last night another one of my mixed media pieces sold:

It's strange to think that different things I've made have been purchased by people, and are now out there in places like California and Alaska, on display for people to see. 

Hippie Camper from from Recycled Cardboard: Part 2

 Back in April, I posted about a Hippie Camper dollhouse I had made out of cardboard. I had an idea to do a little airstream type of camper for a while, but I didn't feel like spending money on a kit, so I decided to make it myself. It's not perfect, but it's been a lot of fun.

It's inspired by two figures from pop culture: Jenny from Forrest Gump and Karen Arnold from The Wonder Years.

I picture a young woman living here: listening to records, strumming a guitar, painting, and of course reading a lot of feminist theory books.

The protest sign is a little decorative pick from Dollar Tree, with a printout glued on, and the little knapsack is a jewlrey charm from Hobby Lobby

The nightstand is a drawer pull, and the candle is a birthday candle that I cut down (and actually lit for a few minutes) The little rainbow decoration is a jewelry charm from Hobby Lobby 

The bed platform is cardboard, and I put a sleeping bag and pillow I got on sale at Earth and Tree miniatures on it along with the orange doily, to look like an afghan. The purse and the dreamcatcher hanging from the ceiling are jewelry charms from Hobby Lobby.

The guitar is a scrapbook sticker from Dollar Tree, and the pink table is a candle holder. The record player is an old Barbie one I've had for a long time.

I printed out the book cover and attached it to a regular mini book.

All I need is 4" hippie girl

Another cardboard box creation

 

Back in November, I  was feeling like I needed a new project to work on. I love working on dollhouses, but I don't love spending money on them on the all the time, so I am trying to create more items for myself rather than buying everything. Last April, I wrote a post about creating a dollhouse from a cardboard box. So I found a cardboard box, and designed a whimsical one room cottage.

 I've had the idea for years now to make a witch cottage; not a Halloween witch, but more like a Stevie Nicks-inspired retreat that is all about nature and celestial beauty.

I covered the exterior in birch bark scrap paper, and painted the inside a deep purple color.

I am proud of this little cottage because I've been able to do it very cheaply. I was able to find some great things at Dollar Tree, like the star stickers on the walls, the blue lights on the ceiling, some of the furniture.  .  .

The gray shelf is a Barbie accessory from Dollar Tree that I painted, and I filled the tiny glass bottles with spices

The table is from Dollar Tree- the chair I got with a coupon at Hobby Lobby

The crystal chandelier is a Christmas ornament

I love the way it's coming along, and how I am trying to spend as little money as possible on this project. I made an alter using birthday cake candles

It doesn't have a resident yet, but I may not put one in at all. For now I'm just enjoying seeing it all come together.

Proud Moment

 I wanted to write down this moment that made me really proud recently.

I was doin g a Google Meet with an 8th grade student on one of our remote instruction days. She had some questions about her project, which was to select a Banned Book, research it, and make a video trailer for it.

She chose Looking for Alaska by John Green. She had already read it, and she owned the book. 

She found a lot of good information about the places where the book has been challenged/banned, and what the reasons behind those complaints were.

As I was talking to her she said "I don't understand why people get so upset about this book. I mean, they say they have no idea that it contains death, but if you turn to the publication page, it says it right there in the subjects.  ?  ."

Not only was she doing a great job researching her book, but she had the common sense to simply look in her own copy and read the subject classifications. 

I told her she needs to become a librarian when she grows up.

Getting Back to It Now with a Peter Pan Post

 It's been a long time since I last blogged.

I've been thinking about writing one for a while now, but it seemed that every time I thought of an idea for a post, I'd get distracted, or I'd forget about it, or my inner critic would pipe and say "No, that's stupid."

But the lack of a social life this past year has me desperate for ways to express myself.

I recently read the book Wendy Darling Vol. 1 Stars since I love the Peter Pan mythos so much.

Something that I noticed immediately as I read this reimagining of Barrie's tale is that the Darling family is Catholic. I thought that was an odd choice at first because 1) I didn't see how religion was important to this story, after all, it's never been mentioned before, and 2) because the official religion of the United Kingdom is Protestant Christianity. Catholics in England have a long history of persecution and although most of that was over by the Edwardian Era (no one was being executed for attending Catholic mass) I would think that Catholicism would still be strongly associated with the Irish, and not a well-to-do family living in Kensington.

However, as I continued reading I realized why this change was so appropriate for this story: Mary. The Mother. At one point, Michael does something naughty and Wendy instructs him to say a Hail Mary and it hit me like a ton of bricks. This story is all about Motherhood, so it makes perfect sense that the Holy Mother should be a thread weaving through the narrative.

Peter Pan is a supernatural being, and in Barrie's text Mrs. Darling believes that he accompanies dead children halfway to Heaven, so that they will not be frightened. Peter and the Lost Boys' worship of Wendy, the Mother, and the standard portrayal of Wendy in blue gowns add to the imagery of Mary and the Mother:

I really enjoyed the book, and it's actually the first in a trilogy; however, the person who recommended it to me admitted that she couldn't get into the second book, and have up on it. I'll probably still try it.

In 2002, Disney released Return to Neverland, which takes place after Wendy grows up. Although Disney sequels usually make me cringe, in this case Disney was following Barrie's cue. Barrie wrote When Wendy Grew Up: An Afterthought as a one act play: a sequel to the play Peter Pan. 

Later when he adapted his famous play into a novel, he used the last chapter of the novel to tell the reader what happened in the sequel play. Wendy is now a real mother, with a daughter of her own. 

In the Disney sequel, I think Wendy is drawn very nicely, and it only makes sense that she is still wearing blue:

I don't have much a closing thought on this, other than the conversation I had with my son a few nights ago. As I was getting him ready for bed, I admired how big and strong he's getting now that he is six, and I told him that sometimes I wish he could stay a little boy forever, like Peter Pan. I said that I used to wish I could fly away to Neverland, and he replied that maybe I could someday. 

I told him that Neverland is a magical place, but only children can get there. There are no mothers allowed in Neverland, and that's why Peter and the Lost Boys need Wendy to act like their mother.

He hugged me and said "I'm sorry, Mama" and I said "It's OK; I like being your mama."

Quarantine Reads

I love to read historical fiction, but during the school year I tend to read books that are shorter, like graphic novels. I'm using this excess of time to sink my teeth into some more substantial stories.

I always love to read historical fiction, but I think it is important at times likes this to think about the past; what tragedies have occurred, how people have endured times of grief and uncertainty in previous times so that we have keep our current situation in context.

This time has been very difficult for most people, but I remind myself of how fortunate I am. I still have my income, I have a loving family that is still healthy, and we live in a home that is surrounded by woods and gives us many oppurtunities to be outside, enjoying nature, even if we cannot go anywhere else.

Based on a Holocaust survivor's account

A historical fiction book about romance and the Titanic

A science-fictiony horror story, set in an asylum in the 50's

And because I love a good asylum tale, this one takes place in 19th century. It's more mystery than horror, but it contains some wonderful parallels to Jane Eyre, and centers around one of my all-time favorite literary criticism themes: the Mad Woman in the Attic

Now I need to find more books to read.

Wendy

One of my favorite things to do is watch film adaptations of my favorite stories, and then compare them and analyze them and reflect on what the differences mean.

The more film adaptations that are available, the better it is.

Classic stories, like Little Women and Peter Pan have so many versions available that the story seems to become more slipstream, because so many people have seen at least one movie version but most of those people have not read the original text.

But I'm not necessarily talking text here, I'm talking about the films contribute something new for viewers to consider.

A couple days ago, we watched the new movie Wendy. I have seen every film and TV version of Peter Pan I could find. Last year we went to a screening of Hook, and I cleaned up during the trivia competition.

We watched it as a family, and I warned my son that this Peter Pan was probably going to look a lot different than the other Peter Pan movie he has seen.

This movie takes a lot of chances, and in some ways it really trusts the viewer. The movie isn't called Peter Pan, or Pan, or even Hook, it's just  a girl's name, but it trusts us to associate the girl's name with the famous story.

And it doesn't take place in Edwardian England, it takes place in Louisiana; if it's not 'present day' then it would probably be dated at least in the 80's or 90's. But, we are trusted to follow along, without any explanation for it. (In the movie Hook, the American setting is explained by way of Peter Pan being adopted by American parents).

Wendy lives with her mother and her brothers in the back of a tiny diner, where the whole family works. She longs for an escape, not from her mother necessarily who seems very loving, but just from the drudgery and monotony.

****some spoilers ahead*****

One day she sees a boy go out to the railroad tracks, and disappear. We are not given much of an explanation, but in the next scene, there is a flyer showing the boy's face with the text Lost Boy above it, including one of those age progression images that sadly accompany pictures of missing children. That's our introduction to the Lost Boys, and the only reference to that term.

In Barrie's story, Peter Pan comes to the nursery window, and lures Wendy away with stories of fairies and mermaids. But this Wendy sees a mysterious boy on top of a train, and runs after him, effectively claiming the story as her own.

This story doesn't have any fairies or mermaids, it doesn't even really have flying. (Which spares us the need for CGI or ropes that will look dated within a few years). The only supernatural resident is called Mother, some kind of being that lives underwater and seems to communicate with children telepathically. Mother is the heart of Neverland.

What it does have is a much more diverse cast. Peter Pan has little dreadlocks and an accent, and is played by an Antiguan boy.



Wendy isn't flitting about in nightgown, she's wearing an oversized t-shirt that says Prison Rodeo on it. I actually appreciated how this Wendy is a tomboy, and there is no romance at all with Peter Pan. She's not looking for love, she just wants adventure.



The movie also explains the origins of Captain Hook and the pirates in a new way. The pirates are not the classic type that sail under a black flag, in fact, they were once Lost Boys. However, when Lost Boys start to feel sad, it gives way to despair, and they inevitable begin to age.  Wendy even tries to help them at one point, trying to engage them in imaginary games (much like the imaginary dinner scene in Hook) in the deserted diner where they all gather. They will not order invisible food and pretend to eat it. They won't dance. They won't even smile.

The skeleton of Barrie's story is here: Wendy and brothers (even if they have different names), Peter Pan, a colony of children that do not age, pirates.  .  .even the epilogue involving Wendy's daughter is there. But this movie rejects the fantastical whimsy and grounds the story (literally, because like I mentioned, there is no flying).

I already have several favorite versions of the Peter Pan story, so I don't think this version will become part of the regular viewing party but I appreciate it for its originality.

Taking chances with classic stories doesn't always work; the 2015 movie Pan was a steampunk re-imagining which featured Nirvana-singing pirates, and the story seemed to fall apart. This movie takes chances too, but they are not as contrived. Everything feels more natural; even the soundtrack. There were no songs or lyrics, it mostly sounded like a Sounds of Nature CD with windchimes.

I just found out that Disney is planning a new live-action Peter an Wendy movie, so I guess I won't have to wait too long before I get to watch another new version.