In loving memory of Mom…from whom I get all my craftiness…we have this PHENOMENAL sewing box cake.
Other great ones here.
Cannot type/talk due to severe illness (all words courtesy of voice software or kind typing helpers)…I read and appreciate all comments…Apologies for not being able to respond.
It’s too bad the words in the English language are so limited. I wish there were a thousand different ways I could express my Father’s Day sentiments, but I once again go back to the blurb on my first SheWalksSoftly Father’s Day post:
Today I’d like to like to honor my dad, who is truly one of the most amazing individuals I’ve ever known. This man has been a stellar role model of compassion, responsibility and integrity, who continues to inspire me on a daily basis. I owe so much of who I am, and anything I may achieve in the future, to his love and guidance.
It’s a rare person (and a rare parent) who can seamlessly blend rationality and emotion, regulation and freedom, wish and possibility. He selflessly provided so much, yet taught me to take nothing for granted. From him, I learned to hope for great things…yet never balk at working hard to get them. I learned that love is not only words, but the genuine desire to make someone’s world a better place, honoring their needs with equal (if not more) importance than one’s own.
Dad, not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the hell out of you! May I go forward in this world with the values you have taught me and make you proud…
Now for a few goodies.
Um…what? Bonus points to whoever has the best guess as to what this supposed to be?
Some nice skeletal father and child hands…
Well you ARE my anchor Dad, but something is lost in the execution here.
#…? Eh, forget it. Math is hard.
A tool.
The perfect gift.
Always a good idea:
Wow. Nothing says love like beating the hell out of your child, in as ad no less.
Hey dad, remember when you would take me to practice sports as a kid even though I was terrible at them and couldn’t wait until they weren’t mandatory anymore? Somehow you made it fun (which for me is the equivalent of enjoying a root canal). Thank you. (I chose this picture because I was probably just slightly less adept than a cat trying to play soccer…but close)
This is the truth:
Get it? Get it? *Nudge, nudge*
You gave me a love of monsters & macabre old and new! How I miss watching movies with you! (Gee, I love how I just start to rhyme like a Dr Seuss book sometimes)
So, #1 Dad (or, World’s Greatest…the best in the world…which is better than #1)…you are my hero now and always. I LOVE YOU!
Happy Father’s Day to the dads out there!
Let’s take a break from the typical spookiness of this blog for something truly beautiful.
Illustrator Ronald Searle (who really deserves another feature post) created a very special project for his wife, now available as a hardcover book.
47 jewel-like drawings by Ronald Searle made for his wife, Monica, each time she underwent chemotherapy. On New Year’s Eve 1969, Monica Searle was diagnosed with a rare and virulent form of breast cancer. Each time she underwent treatment, Ronald produced a Mrs Mole drawing ‘to cheer every dreaded chemotherapy session and evoke the blissful future ahead’. Filled with light and illuminated in glowing colours, the drawings speak of love, optimism and hope.
Like the medieval illuminated manuscripts such as the 15th-century Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, to which the title of this book refers, the 47 drawings are on an intimate scale and were never intended for publication. The story of Monica’s survival against the odds and the part played by the encouragement of her husband will move many people who have either experienced cancer for themselves or been affected through a close family member or friend.
What a profoundly touching gesture. I remember when my mother was battling cancer, I made her a postcard every single week for over a year (complete with quotes or loving statements on the back). I eventually assembled the collection into an album for her. While she did not survive this journey, I believe in the power of art to bring joy and sooth the spirit. It warms my heart to think that the selfless bond between two people (whether lovers, family or friends) can inspire this kind of valiant effort.
“Everything about them had to be romantic and perfect. I drew them originally for no one’s eyes except Mo’s, so she would look at them propped up against her bedside lamp and think: ‘When I’m better, everything will be beautiful.’” ~ Ronald Searle
Dergin Tokmak contracted Polio when he was only one year old, which resulted in partial paralysis from Poliomyelitis. He went on to become a Cirque du Soleil performer and breakdancer.
Check out this informal video from his youtube channel. Give it a minute to get going…and watch the incredibly fluid, gravity defying moves. Amazing.
“I want to pass on to the next generation … so people can see that no handicap is too big or too limiting to dance. My message as an artist is to show the world that there is a creative soul in everyone with or without a handicap.” -Dergin Tokmak
This gorgeous sculpture by David Kravoc was commissioned as an award for Rabbi Yossi Raichik, director of Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl.
The piece represents The Book of Life, and pages are filled with the words of those touched by Raichik’s kindness. What a lovely idea for a memorial, and very well executed.
Hey Dad…I have the wonderfullest thing for you today:
Every word of last year’s Fathers Day post remains true…
Today I’d like to like to honor my dad, who is truly one of the most amazing individuals I’ve ever known. This man has been a stellar role model of compassion, responsibility and integrity, who continues to inspire me on a daily basis. I owe so much of who I am, and anything I may achieve in the future, to his love and guidance.
It’s a rare person (and a rare parent) who can seamlessly blend rationality and emotion, regulation and freedom, wish and possibility. He selflessly provided so much, yet taught me to take nothing for granted. From him, I learned to hope for great things…yet never balk at working hard to get them. I learned that love is not only words, but the genuine desire to make someone’s world a better place, honoring their needs with equal (if not more) importance than one’s own.
Dad, not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the hell out of you! May I go forward in this world with the values you have taught me and make you proud…
I like this card. I think I could still do this and my dad would barely feel it! (by Dear Nic)
Dad…you’re #1…and the World’s Greatest.
I hate to bid goodbye to the Ryan Matthew theme week because it’s been a blast, but I suppose all good things must come to and end.
Behold this recent creation: a human skull sliced into six sections, mounted on handmade metal fixtures.
The adjustable sections fan out from a central point, and the corresponding split mandible rests on its own stand below.
Apparently the human skull, when cut, produces a staggering amount of dust (coveted by certain collectors…nothing goes to waste).
The remarkable cross sections allow one to view the inner and outer structure of the cranial bones. I love looking at the spatial relationships, varying density, and tiny nuances that (most of us) rarely fixate upon. Like the exploded skulls, these would make phenomenal educational tools.
I see a great deal of potential in this technique, for personal and professional purposes. There was even brief talk of constructing models that incorporate soft tissue specimens (I might have audibly squealed with delight at the idea…I hope not).
This piece is currently under glass, in the center of Ryan’s dining room table…a perfect spot, and fabulous dinner company.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Ryan, he’s not likely to rest on his osteological laurels. His focus, dedication and skills are are highly commendable. I have no doubt that we can expect countless incredible undertakings in the months and years to come.
Brilliant work, all around. It’s been an honor.
(Photos by Sergio Royzen)
Years ago I came across a mesmerizing photo of a disarticulated human skull, cleaned and mounted on display with jointed movable parts. A little something like this:
All I could find was that French anatomist Claude Beauchene, inspired by the work of Leonardo Da Vinci, developed this presentation method in the mid 1800′s. There was precious little information about the process, and very few examples.
Ryan Matthew has resurrected this technique and fine tuned its execution with multiple species. Beauchene would be proud.
Here we have an “exploded” human skull:
Believe it or not, there is no bone cutting involved in this process. The skull is fully disarticulated, using a method of internal expansion. The adjustable metal fixtures are handmade as well.
A baboon version:
And a cat…
Having seen these skulls up close, I must say that the detail and construction are stunning. The lack of cutting ensures that each bone fragment maintains its natural shape and integrity. These models would be fantastic educational resources.
I wonder if exploded skulls will take off as a way to memorialize dearly departed pets. At the very least, I think they will make their way into the personal collections of oddity connoisseurs worldwide.
If you want to commission one, look no further than Ryan himself.
It took a rare specimen (pun absolutely intended) to make me consider dedicating a theme week to an individual rather than a concept. I found such inspiration in self-taught artisan, jeweler, collector, TV personality and master of osteological works Ryan Matthew, who was kind enough to give me a tour of his personal collections.
His home is more of an experience than a standard place of residence. More finely curated than the vast majority of museums I’ve visited, each room is saturated with rare artifacts from bygone days: skulls, articulated skeletons, pickled specimens, taxidermy, metal work, antiquated devices…a collection too vast to be cataloged or justly represented in a mere blog post.
Ryan has transformed his Brooklyn apartment into a wonderland of glass-domed treats, flora and fauna. With remarkable ambition and dedication to his craft, he has created a veritable oddities empire.
I personally feel very much at home surrounded by the rich history of human remains and ephemera. These objects are the time keepers of our ingenuity and foibles. Every surface was adorned with fascinating creations, brilliant artistry, milestones of medical and cultural evolution, misguided inventions, and unfortunate accidents of birth. Every item tells a story, and many of them also carry colorful anecdotes of acquisition (never a dull moment when dead things are one’s trade!).
The myriad skulls in the collection possess various anomalies: interesting ossifications, deformities, etc. These are not the bleached, pristine craniums of med school lectures. These beauties have character.
Well, every piece has character.
This colorful baby doe reminds me very much of Iori Tomita’s work.
What home decor would be complete without a giant jar of human teeth?
Perhaps it’s just the way my warped mind works, but I think this piece would be fantastic in an ad for headache medicine.
Owls have always been one of my favorite creatures…
This baboon gentleman is now poised in front of a human skull under glass, gazing upon it in contemplation; an utterly perfect tableau.
The back room contains a number of curiosity cabinets, all fully stocked and beautifully arranged. It was impossible to take it all in at once, and I rapidly developed a kind of Oddities Attention Deficit Disorder due to the delightful overwhelm. These displays require extensive exploration.
One closeup:
I really wish I had more detailed photos of that room and cabinet contents. I could get lost in them for at least a few weeks…or until someone dragged me away and reminded me to eat and sleep.
Getting the tour…
I was lucky enough to to have two wonderful photographers capture these images for me. Many thanks to the lovely Sara Gage (whom I look forward to working with and posting about in the future) and Sergio Royzen (still life virtuoso!).
Check out Ryan Matthew’s website. We have so much more to cover this week…
Today I bring you a shiny placemat I made for her in Kindergarten. Yep, a SheWalksSoftly original.
I don’t think I could write a better tribute than I did last year. Every word of it still applies…every day. I miss her very much.
If you like this blog, you partially have her to thank. She surrounded me with creativity and imagination from my youngest days, supported my every project and crazy scheme. She was a gifted artist and fiercely loving human being. From her I learned to bestow kindness upon strangers and shower my loved ones with (quirky) displays of affection. I learned to create without limits, and fearlessly forge paths where none existed.
Mom, thanks for thinking outside of the box with me, and for fitting a lifetime of love into a life cut short. I carry the magic of your incredible spirit in my heart always.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
