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Memory Lane

Hi everyone

I’ve been really slack when it comes to writing my blog.  I have a busy life and while I have been painting I can’t seem to get the time to write. Social media seems to be where I am when I get time to share my work so if you really want to keep up on what I’m doing follow me on Facebook or Instagram.

This past few months I have been doing a lot of reminiscing and my work seems to have taken a turn down memory lane 🙂 I have been focusing on past memories, especially happy ones. It doesn’t get any more nostalgic than the past few pieces I have completed. So, I thought I’d take a few minutes to share with you my latest work – I guess I can call it my first series “Memory Lane”.

My first painting of 2019 was “Dragging home the tree” which I completed with palette knife and detail brushes. It was aptly named by Gemma Aylward. I have lots of wonderful memories of getting the perfect tree!

Dragging Home the Tree, 12×16 Acrylic

This poem (only a few versus here) by David Keig kind of explains what this image brings back to me! Reading it sure hits me in the feels!

“A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
With dark green needled memories
Of childhood dreams and mysteries
Wrapped present-like in front of me.

A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
I glimpse a past wherein I see
The child that then grew into me
Not forward fast but haltingly.

A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
A time for being with family
A time that’s gone so fleetingly
Yet lives for always deep in me. ”

Since I’m on the West Coast of Newfoundland we have been getting blasted by mother nature. I cannot recall having so much ‘dirty’ weather than we’ve had this past two months. I remember times when when the snowbanks were as high as the light poles and we’d have to jump over the power lines as we made our way to school on some winter mornings. With all the blizzards, squalls and whiteout conditions you can imagine how my mind got to travelling back. We had wicked winters that is for sure!

One of my favorite things to do when I was little was to whip down the first pond road (usually laying on the back of one of my friends lol). My sleigh wasn’t as fancy as the Champion Coaster in the painting. My brothers usually made them with some old board. I remember they used the old black water hose on the runners to help the sleighs go and boy did we ever go! We would go down the hill fast as lightning! I didn’t actually own a coaster but I sure wanted one!  Half the time we’d be froze to death. We would stay out all day and our mittens would get wet and either droop or freeze but we didn’t care! What fun we had in our childhood!

Going For a Randy (Named by Gemma Aylward) 12×16 Acrylic

Last week I had a flu and my laundry piled up. It got me thinking about my mom and the many many lines of clothes she washed and hung out when we were kids. My next painting is a tribute to all the hard working momma’s slaving for their families with line after line of washing!

“Taking in the Wash” 12×12 Acrylic

I guess by now you know I’m a big poetry fan! This poem by Marilyn Walker certain tells the laundry story very well.

A Clothesline Poem

A clothesline was a news forecast, to neighbors passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep, when clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link, for neighbors always knew,
If company had stopped on by, to spend a night or two.

For then you’d see the fancy sheets and towels upon the line;
You’d see the company tablecloths, with intricate design.

The line announced a baby’s birth, to folks who lived inside,
As brand new infant clothes, were hung so carefully with pride.

The ages of the children, could so readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed, you’d know how much they’d grown.

It also told when illness struck, as extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe too, haphazardly were strung.

It also said “Gone on vacation now”, when lines hung limp and bare.
It told “We’re back!” when full lines sagged, with not an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon, if washing was dingy grey,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows, and looked disgustedly away.

But clotheslines now are of the past, for dryers make work much less,
Now what goes on inside a home, is anybody’s guess.

I really miss that way of life; it was a friendly sign,
When neighbors knew each other best, by what was hanging on the line.

by Marilyn K. Walker
Inspired by The Clothes-Line ~ Helen Allingham ~ (1848-1926)

I am here now thinking back about those lines of laundry and those frozen mittens! I can see my mother bringing in arm loads of clothes in the winter. There was no need for a basket as it was so frozen it couldn’t fit. In fact it was so frozen you could stand each piece up by itself! I never understood why mom hung it out as she would have to bring it in to thaw and dry in the house. Despite drying by the wood stove it still smelled fresh. There is just something wonderful about hanging out and taking in the laundry, even if it frozen.

My next painting was inspired by the need to keep my toes warm. All this snow means cold feet! My favorite thing to haul on on a chilly morning are my knitted wool slippers! My mom never learned how to knit but so many lovely people shared with us so we always had knitted goods.  My nan knit all the time and made wonderful socks and trigger mitts.  There were many time I sat and quietly watched as those needles clicked and fingers flew while many a yarn was told. Nan could start a pair of socks after supper and have them ready the next day. Her hands were faster than lightning! While she knit I sometimes helped by “ravelling” out old sweaters and balling up the wool to be re-used for some new mitts and socks. What wonderful treasures were made!

“Busy Hands” 16×20 Acrylic.

 

My final piece of work I’ll share today has nothing to do with the snow 🙂 I was reminded this weekend about bathing in an old galvanized tub.  Saturday night was bath night at our house and we would all bathe in this tub so we would be ready for church on Sunday. I have vague memories of this. All five of us kids took turns in the same water mom heated on the side of the woodstove. So, my next painting of course had to depict the joy of being the first one in as being the last meant cold and dirty water 🙂

“First One In” 12×12 Acrylic.

For this painting I had to figure out how to do a muted/blurred background! That was so much fun!

That pretty much sums up what I have been up to this past few months. I really have been busy! Before I go, if you haven’t already, check out my Facebook page. I’ve had so many people follow my work and it has been extremely interactive. To show my appreciation for all the interaction on my page, I added a fan of the week feature. This is basically an app that tracks participation on my art page and then automatically selects and posts a “shout out” to the individual who comments, likes and shares my posts the most each week. A Fan of the Week will be selected by the app every Sunday evening. Each share, comment and like on my posts gets you points towards my Fan of the week giveaways! You can also provide a review or recommendation if you have purchased or won a piece of my art.

Once I have 4 fan of the week posts, I will do a draw from them for a free print. Good luck!

I just want to say thank you to everyone for sharing, liking and commenting on my art page and thanks for reading my blog! If you like it please comment and share!

Take care!

Artfully Yours

Margie

 

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