Broken

The very first time I saw a sand dollar, it was in the living room of a girl I had just met in Marquette, Michigan.  Growing up in Michigan, and having travelled very little at that point in my life, I had no idea how fragile it was.  I picked it up to look at it closer, and of course, it broke in pieces in my hands.

I felt terrible.  Here was this girl in Michigan who had a sand dollar on display in her home and I had come in and broken it immediately.  I apologized to her profusely and she insisted that it was no big deal, but I walked away from that experience feeling like I had made the world a little less beautiful.

Now I've travelled more.  I've been to beaches where the sand dollars were plentiful lying in a riverbed when the tide had gone out.  And I realize that she probably meant what she said.  It probably wasn't a big deal to her to lose that sand dollar because she had seen them many times before and knew that she would be able to replace it at some point if she wanted.

It's all in one's perspective.

What is erotica?

What is erotica?  It is what the observer sees as erotic.

This Friday, Avanti Art in Greenwood is going to have an opening of a new exhibit.  The subject of this month's show is erotica.  Artists who work in a variety of mediums are participating.  There will be drawings and paintings, wire sculptures, and probably photography as well.

So in this case, erotica is what the creator/artist sees as erotic.  It will be fun to see if I find these works erotic too.

The end of the line

Recently I participated in a photography swap. The host of the swap listed 30 things and we were to take pictures of at least 15 of them to send to our partners. Some of the listed items were pretty straight forward, like "something red" or "something shiney". Others left room for the participants to read into the listed item.

One of the things on the list was "the end of the line". I recently purchased a new sewing machine which I have wanted for at least 8 years. It was the one I wanted to get when I bought my last machine, but I settled for what I got because of cost considerations. Well, here it is, 8 years later, and although the machine I had was perfectly functional, it still wasn't the machine I wanted. I spotted a really good deal on the one I wanted and talked it over with my husband and we went and picked it up.

I cannot see myself ever being at a place where I want a different sewing machine than this one. I am astonished at some of the things that it can do. So, I sent my partner a photograph of my new Bernina as my interpretation of "the end of the line". Undoubtedly, it is not a photo that she will find artistic. But it is what it is.