September 2, 2013

Alacrity

The mosaic table that had been floating around my mind as a summer project for the past 4 summers is finally done...just as the summer calendar zips itself up and disappears.
Grouting turned out to be like making mudpies and hunting for treasure all at once. Imagine smearing grey oatmeal on a favorite picture and then just clearing it away over and over again to reveal the images below!

The story of this table is about sitting atop mounds in the desert, digging with a stick. One eye looking for color, the other eye guarding against snakes. It is also about all the crashes and "oops" in my kitchen. What a way to transform the feeling of loss into a surprise gift of tesserae (look it up).  And while I wanted this to be made entirely of my own finds, I have some full disclosure. I was at work last week, coveting a blue and white plate of Liza's as I bemoaned the fact that I was about 4 inches short of goods in the final cobalt blue ring. Lucky for me, she had another one just like, chipped and exiled to the back of the cupboard!

Like my quilts, I love some of the supporting characters almost as much as the story itself:
So what have I learned?

This was a lesson about alacrity, which the dictionary defines as "cheerful willingness or speed." In other words, the opposite of inertia. I can remember clearly the moment I actually got started on this, the very first snap of the very first shard. For weeks, I kept thinking, "Guess it is going to be another summer without making a table." As if it were a random event. Then, "I probably should start on that table..." to finally making the connection between a wish and my own hands. It took some real cerebral effort to ignite my energy. Not sure why, but at least I understand that every wish has a fuse that needs to be lit with something more flammable than dreams. 

17 comments:

  1. julie--this is wonder full. inspiring in fact. way to go!

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    1. thanks, Patricia. Perhaps we will see yours NEXT summer???

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  2. you DID it! and it's so FINE! Perfect.
    how big is it???? and is there an urge to continue?????

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    1. thank you, thank you...its one of those small cafe tables, about 24 inches across? And yes, I loved doing it, as long as it uses my finds. THAT's what made it magic. I looked on ebay and people are actually selling broken plates!!!!

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  3. beautifully said with such alacrity & panache!

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  4. oh Julie, this is Fantastic! and as always I love the way you share your exploits with us. When will you write/publish a whole book full of this stuff??

    I'm afraid my wall isn't ready yet....so I owe you one!
    I too use what I find in the garden and on my walks, it's amazing what I've found out there and what others have given me, no buying of supplies here, apart from the glue-ing and grouting materials

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    1. Ok, you have an excuse in that gorgeous new porch roof, but how about some "in process" photos? Thanks for the wonderful compliment...A book? I was thinking of going right to film, you know, like that chick who blogged about cooking with Julia Child and cheating on her husband?

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  5. Hi, Julie. Your table is sooooooooo cool! Just perfect. Good things take time, as they say.
    best, nadia

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  6. This is so so beautiful. Looks perfect! The detail photos are awesome.
    You push me to use my smal pieces of glas I found at the beach. Green, brown and blue...

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    1. Thanks, Doris. Beach glass is perfect, since it is probably smooth and round. I have just discovered the importance of this, now that I have to sand down the sharp edges sticking up over the grout!

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    1. I'll be right back, need to find my Latin dictionary from 10th grade.

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. I love your table and it is so nice how much satisfaction you could take in making it with "cheerful willingness".

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    1. Yeah, putting the "cheerful" in front of things intentionally has really made a change

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