Becoming artwork when I expire…

Last night, my husband and I had a much-needed “Veg Fest.” If you know us well, you know we work hard and play hard, but rarely just veg! So we caught some of a new TV series called “Three Rivers.” It’s on CBS, and it focuses on a medical team that harvests organs from gracious donors who have passed, and find “homes” for them in very sick and needy patients, some of whom have been waiting for a long time. I enjoyed it, and it sparked some discussion between Nate and I.

I’ve had the organ donor box checked on my driver’s license since I was 16, and I’ve always thought I wanted everything possible to be donated except for my skin and eyes. Many people don’t even know that these can be donated, and I’ve kind of thought of it as “icky.” However, donating these organs would make a world of difference in the lives of a blind person or burn victim, so I’ve given it some more thought. Now, if you’re on top of things, you’re realizing that this extensive donation could make for an unsightly open casket. Enter my next preference: cremation.

Now, before you start thinking this will be a morbid blog post, be assured that you’re probably going to laugh very soon .

Cremation… the alternative to slowly becoming worm food over the course of many years. I’m rather fond of it. But, what do your loved ones DO with your remains? There’s the sprinkling into the ocean, off of a mountainside, and resting in the somewhat typical urn on the mantle which could be creepy for your home’s visitors or housekeeper.

I want something different. I am an artist. When I die and become ashes, I’d like to become art. (What?)

$45.00 worth of pure, raw potential :)

Nate may think I’m crazy when he comes home tonight   I just made a run of some antique stores near our home and picked up a really random assortment of old buttons, pins, wood, hinges, and other rusty things.  I’m as giddy as I got the time we were cleaning my grandparents’ attic and I discovered a forgotten calligraphy set, complete with pens, ink, and paper.  My parents’ first inclination was to throw it out, but for me, it became a 9-year old’s new favorite hobby.  It’s funny how some things never change… my desire to create something beautiful out of raw materials will always be with me.  Sometimes my raw materials come in tubes, or are shiny and white like new canvases.  For this endeavor, they are old items that beg for resurrection.

What brought on this itch?  Last night, my dear friend Caroleann and I went to an Andrew Peterson concert.  His songs told the story of Jesus’ birth and life much like a fairy tale would be told.  During intermission, we discovered a table covered with artwork that corresponded to the message of the songs… artwork that mesmerized me.  This artist, whose name is Evie (and who disappointingly does not have much of a web presence), had taken old wood and discarded items, pairing them with her own original watercolor and ink paintings.  The result was beautiful, intricate works of art that beckoned for further review.

Throughout the rest of the concert, I let the music and my own wandering thoughts give me inspiration for my own take on this “found object” type of work.  Be on the lookout for these pieces.  I already believe that they will be hard to part with.  I always know I’m on to something great when I can’t think of anything else, and neccesary things like showering and phone calls start seeming like a nuisance.    See you soon – this artist has work to do.