Monday, January 17, 2011

Respect Starts at Home

January, 17th, 2011—Martin Luther King, Jr, Day


M Y   A R T — Pictured in this image is my grandmother and her friend, sitting in a tree on the shore in Stony Creek, CT, circa 1920. Originally titled, "Out On a Limb" for obvious reasons, lol, some friends have mentioned that it seems the women's friendship was "out on a limb" as well, and as far as I know, that was not the case at all. Although she died when I was only 12 years old, my grandmother taught me many valuable life lessons in those few short years. I'm now leaning towards "Respect Starts at Home" for the title of this piece. It's also my hope for today's holiday; we can't possibly hope to embrace everyone equally in this country, and world, if respect doesn't begin at home.

Besides the image of the friends, there are thirteen rows of white squares, in both vertical and horizontal orientation. Each row includes a single unique color square as well, speaking to how we can be unique and stand in solidarity with our "whole" society at the same time. An 1898 magazine cover logo, The Gentlewoman, describes these two women, and smaller, more subtle images along the left side include indoor plants I learned to love from my grandmother. There is also a "sewing" motif along the right side, where I used gold leaf to add "stitches" holding the color blocks together, another nod to something my grandmother taught me.

This piece is approximately 16 x 32 inches on a composite wooden particle board.

17 comments:

  1. CASEY, WHEN I WAS A CHILD REPECT ALWAYS STARTED AT HOME. THEN OVER THE YEARS RULES CHANGE THE RIGHTS OF PARENTS WERE TAKEN AWAY BECAUSE CHILDREN NEEDED THEIR RIGHTS ALSO. WE NEVER EVER WERE ALLOW TO SPEAK BACK AT OUR MOMS,DAD OR TEACHERS. WHEN YOU WENT TO SCHOOL YOU REPECTED THE TEACHERS AND VERY SELDOM DID THE KIDS GET IN TROUBLE BECAUSE THEY KNEW IF THEY GOT IN TROUBLE AT SCHOOL THEY WOULD BE IN BIGGER TROUBLE AT HOME. THE SAME WENT FOR THE COPS. I STILL REPECT THE COPS. MAYBE MORE BECAUSE I EITHER WANTED TO BE A COP OR A CLOWN. YES, A CLOWN. I DIDN'T DO EITHER. BUT I'VE BEEN A CLOWN ALL MY LIFE.MUST ADD, I WOULD ALSO HAVE LIKED TO WORK WITH HORSES. NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO DO SO EXCEPT AT MY AUNTS.BECAUSE OF MY AUNT AND UNCLES I GOT TO GO TO MANY, MANY HORSE SHOWS THAT THRILLED ME SO MUCH.IN MY NEXT LIFE I'LL OWN A HORSE RANCH OR MAYBE A LOG CABIN OVERLOOKING A MOUNTAIN AND LAKE. I.LL HAVE THAT ROCKING CHAIR ON THE PORCH WITH A SIGN OUT BY THE ROAD SAYING, STOP IN TEACHING KINDNESS COURSE TODAY.

    GRANNY

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  2. Maybe you should be a clown on horseback!

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  3. Casey I too learn much from my Grandmother. She died in 1964 soon after receiving the news of the birth of my youngest daughter. I always felt she just wasn't going to leave until she knew if I had a boy or girl

    For just a few years she lived with us in an apartment at the back of our house. I loved those years when I could sit beside her and listen to her stories.

    Her families roots were from the South but I remember her only prejudice was against the Catholics. She was a 'dyed in the wool' Democrat but when Kennedy ran for President she expressed concern, "He's a Catholic you know." Despite her apprehension she voted for him.

    ~ Granny, I see a lot of parents abdicating their role of parental responsibility in exchange for desperately wanting to be their children's friend. When in actuality what the children want and need is for their parents to be parents. Yes for sure respect starts at home on the day you are brought into it. And parents need to live up to that respect as well.

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  4. rofl at casey's clown on horseback comment- the image is priceless. Go Granny Go!

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  5. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. WHY NOT? THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. I WISH I'D THOUGHT OF IT YEARS AGO. AFTER I GET THROUGH DOING ALL MY PROJECTS I GOT LINED UP.I'M THINKING ABOUT BUYING A REBOUNDER TO BUILD UP MY LEG MUSCLE.AFTER THAT I'LL START SMALL. MAYBE BUY MYSELF A PONY AND A CLOWN OUTFIT.. MAYBE I'LL DO KID PARTIES. DREAM ON GRANNY, DREAM ON. LOL BUT IT WOULD BE FUN. AT THIS AGE I'D RATHER BE AN ARTIST FOR AWHILE.I'VE ENJOYED THESE PASS FEW MONTH ENJOYING ALL YOUR ART. I LIKE YOUR MUSEUM. I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO CHARGE UP THE SCOOTER AND DRIVE INTO TOWN TO THE REAL THING. YOURS IS MORE FUN. IT'S LIKE SNOOPING.

    DID YOU GET MY E MAIL. LOL

    HUGS AND TOOTS,
    GRANNY

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  6. Granny, do I have to get on a Southwest flight and fly to Tampa and go to the art supply store. Come on girl get started on that art NOW. I bet Gramps could pick up a few supplies to get you started on his way to the grocery store. But I will fly down there if I have to, but I really don't enjoy those TSA pat downs that much. Maybe if they hired Johnny Depp as an agent, yeah that I would like. lol

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  7. Hmm...weather report tonight says we might be getting some 'measurable' snow on Wednesday. Guess tomorrow I will head out and take care of some things and go to the grocery store just in case. If I don't do this we will probably be snow bound, if I take care of stuff, the snow will pass over us, right?

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  8. A lovely piece, Casey.

    I only knew one of my grandmothers, but she was an amazing lady who, considering the relatively small amount of time we got to spend together, had a huge impact on who I am.

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  9. SATURDAY MORNINGS STARTING AT NINE I WATCH A COUPLE OF ARTIST ONE IS INTO LANDSCAPES THE OTHER IS DONNA DEWBERRY DOING HER ONE STROKE. I USED TO DO HER STYLE YEARS AGO BUT FORGOT SO MUCH. SHE GIVES ME THE ITCH. I JUST NEVER COULD DO FREESTYLE.

    CASEY, I'LL SEE YOU UNDER THE BED OR AT THE BAR.LOL HUGS
    GN CASEY GN

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  10. thanks, Ish, we have that in common. I only knew one grandmother also.

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  11. CASEY, ONE MORE THING. THE TONIGHT SHOW TONIGHT. ROSS.

    GRANNY

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  12. Me, too - only one grandmother, I wonder if that is more common?

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  13. maybe back in "our" day, lol. it seems as if grandparents are so much younger these days, plus we're all living longer in general.

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  14. The latest news from Mare. This posted late last night:

    Well, mom has finally stabilized enough to have her first surgery. We have been told it is very high risk but no option as this HAS to be done. Having power of attorney left us with the task of saying, "do the surgery-risks and all.". That was very hard to do.

    They will take her into surgery at 7 a.m. and it is to begin at 7:30 (central time). We r not sure how long it will take and we are praying she makes it through.
    Please pray. I'll be back with more info later.

    Mare
    Posted by marejohn at 10:15 PM

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  15. Mare's mom's surgery should be over with by now. I sure wish we could get an update but, of course, I know that would be very far down the list of what's on Mare's mind right now.

    I knew both of my grandmas, but not very well. They lived in Missouri and we lived in Washington State. One grandma only visited once and we only went to Missouri twice while she was still alive. The other grandma came to Wash a few times but it was a very tentative relationship. We just didn't know her. I remember one time she and I were home alone at our house. I must have been about 9. She sat me down and made me look at all her pics of dead grandpa in his casket. It freaked me out! LOL Yet I'm the only grandkid she left a handmade patchwork quilt to when she died.

    My other grandma was mean to us. She didn't like my dad, and by extension, we children. Of course as an adult I fully understand since mom was 15 and dad was 17 when they got pregnant and then married. They were married for 58 years when dad died. They made peace on grandma's deathbed.

    But I ramble...

    Katie

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  16. PS, if we had talked in a disrespectful way to any adult, dad would have kicked our asses from here to Kingdom Come.

    Katie

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