Bits and pieces

These are pieces of a humble painting I did about 3 years ago. The images fit together as follows...The goofy bird is hovering over the birdhouse and low and behold it's locked! The key which is cut into the matt board is in the lower right hand corner. Apparently out of reach of the poor bird. This painting is typical of the sort of work I sold at Art fairs. (In the good old days) I would do a little painting and just for fun paint an extra character on the matt framing the piece. Or as with the key actually cut the matt around the extra art. The reason I'm posting these goofy bits and pieces today is the lock. The lock on the birdhouse is that weathered lock I posted on Monday.

Objects of beauty

These locks are from my family farm. To me they are objects of beauty. My favorite one is the most weathered, rusty and used. It looks completely ancient. What a life this lock must have had. I can imagine that it held many mysterious things safe behind it's iron grip. Objects of weathered beauty turn up in my art on a regular basis. I made this memory box last weekend. The project may have been more craft than art. But I have a feeling that this lock will turn up in my paintings for years to come.