Natural History Boxes

Collecting and Arranging were in her nature.

Naturalist Box ( SOLD before the glue was dry)

The ephemera: original antique document from the 1800s

The found objects: vintage bicycle wrench, African dancing fruit, seed pod from Costa Rica, antique key, turkey tail fungus, tomatillo skeleton, tart tin, magic slide, paper wasp nest, bird’s nest and egg, lichen, antique copper nails, vials of green china paint,antique film bobbin, antique industrial bobbin, vintage castors

Nature Collection

The ephemera: original french documents from the 1800s, vintage dictionary page

The found objects: magic slides, antique key, typewriter coil, kiwi vine, seed pods from Costa Rica, bird’s egg, butterfly wing, drift wood, bird bones, tiny antique vials

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Julien in the Lab

Le directeur du laboratoire, M. Julien G. Éprouvette, disapru à Paris le 31 mai 1901. Un mystère jamais résolu.

Did he go back to the future to prevent the discovery of plastic?

Did he go back in time to find a power source that did not involve fossil fuels?

Did he go underground, hoping to find a way to prevent the Spanish Flu?

Perhaps we will never know.

NB Shhh! This is a cadeau for my son Julien about to start the last year of his Chemistry Degree. C’est un secret.

Julien Eprouvette au Laboratoire

Le laboratoire

The collection

Julien Eprouvette

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  Les eprouvettes

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  Les éléments

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  Le lab a du courant

The ephemera: Vintage Periodic Table; vintage receipt from a Paris Chemical Laboratory, various old papers.

The found objects: Vintage Test tubes, typewriter parts from a 1920s Royal Typewriter; tiny vintage glass bottles, vintage light bulbs (that work!), vintage switch (that works too!) , ceramic insulator tubes, small antique school ink bottle, vintage vacuum tube, wire, vintage gage,vintage tart tin, vintage typewriter bell, vintage thermometer .

Credits: Merci à mon mari Michel who helped me with the wiring so that the vintage light bulb switches on using the vintage switch and a very modern battery hidden, from view.

Apothecary

The cabinet held more than mere curiosities. There were generations of knowledge languishing here, not quite faded from their collective memory. Frankincense, Myrrh, Quill, Quartz, Poppy, Amber, Bone, Bark, Leaf, Petal, Seed…and more seemingly peculiar potions and remedies of the healing arts. Unbeknownst to them, there would soon come a time where they would be glad of this preserved wisdom.

The found objects: Printers tray, anagram letters, bird bones, bees wax, seed pods, feathers, spool, parchment, deer toe, minerals, frankincense, myrrh, rose petals, vials, antique boxes, lavender, pen quills, antique key, antique medal, horse tooth, chiton, porcupine quills, antique silk, antique nails, spices, antique apothecary labels, sea urchin spines and shell, fish jaw, leaf, quail egg, antique labels, snail shell.

Time passages

Time is the great equalizer they say.

Altered Cuckoo Clock

They treasured the times passed and celebrated the marks it left on their faces, of lives well-lived. That was the key.

The Nest they had build had emptied but the bones of it remained supported by love.

Many doors had opened and some had closed.

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The ephemera: old damaged vintage photos

The found objects: Original vintage or natural : clock case; brass bell; jar lid; door knob; paint tin lid; sprinkler head; gauge; key to the clock; tart tins; crow skull; bird’s nest; quail’s nest.

Note : This cuckoo clock was a gift from a dear friend. It has been in the studio for 4 years, intimidating me…until now. Thanks Darcie.

The Anatomy of Loss

Loss comes in many forms and needs to be grieved

but your body can help you through it if you will let it.

Altered Clock Case

Arms for reaching out. Heart for slow beats forward and Lungs for remembering to breathe.

Ear for receiving comfort; Mouth for speaking your truth; Eyes for looking forward to a new path.

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Bones for Strength; Spine for bending without breaking.

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Brain for looking for the gifts that often come with loss.

Loss in its many forms: represented by these beautifully disintegrating vintage photographs.

The ephemera: Original ledger pages from 1917; Complete Notarized document page from 1868; high quality reproductions of antique anatomy illustrations; damaged vintage photos; old encyclopedia pages.

The found objects: antique clock case; old kodak slide boxes; altoid tin; vintage red ten; various other vintage boxes; antique optical lens; vintage toy blocks.

This one was a labour of love.

Artist Colour Box

Pigment, glorious pigment… sunny ochre; mud pie umber; depression blue; snake in the grass green; crime crimson; mysterious black; little lie white; plummy purple and orangutan orange. She drifted off into the colour wheel of her mind.

The Trousse

Artist colours

Artist Pigments

Artist Tools

ARTIST COLOUR BOX; An Homage to my Aunt Billy to whom these vials of china paint powder and old tools belonged. She encouraged me to be a creative and independent thinker right from the start…I still miss her after all these years.

The ephemera: Various antique colour charts and map legends; a vintage photo

The found objects: brayer; palette knife, artist brushes; silver spoon, vials of china paint powder; altoid tin ; round box; paiint tin lid; cigar box.

Grand World Tour

Eustace was jolly glad he had finally reached the epic age of 21 years. I shall set off on a grand world tour! he declared, his upper lip stiffening in the face of parental dissent. He bounded off to pack his case at the last minute and dashed off to the station.

Eustace’s hastily packed case…with all the essentials for a man about town.

Ready for Adventure

THE CONTENTS OF THE CASE

Tickets, Coins, Sponges and Such

Pocket Watch, dice etc…

A Map of Paris tucked under his passport.

World Tour : a homage to my son, who when moving to a new city for work at aged 21 decided to pack his Halloween costume; a large amount of sci-fi books and a huge monkey wrench, among other things, in the one suitcase Air Canada would allow.

The ephemera: Original Vintage: map of Paris; stamps; travel labels; stamps; snippets of letters; post card; transport tickets; luggage tags …

The found objects: vintage : dice; jeton; pope key ring; stop watch; tin tiny vial; sponge box; buttons; ladies garter buckle; bullet case; coin; silk thread; copper nail; key; locker tag; pen nib; pad lock ; measuring tape and cigar box

Secret Agent Man

There’s a man who lives a life of danger.

To everyone he meets, he stays a stranger.

With every move he makes, another chance he takes.

Odds are he won’t live to see tomorrow.

Secret Agent Man, Secret Agent Man,

They’ve given you a number, and taken away your name.

Johnny Rivers

Listen to Song while perusing the pics! Much more fun that way. 🙂

Johnny River

altered cigar box

Secret Agent Man’s Attaché Case

Inextricably!

Nothing could save 006!

Secret Papers: boarding pass , tickets, micro film, target and blue prints.

Falsified Passport

Tools of the Trade: bullet; lock picking tool, skeleton key; tailsman; quick acting poison; spy light; radio tube. ( thanks to Q)

Enemy Agent disguised as creepy child.

SECRET AGENT MAN 0ne of my most favourite pieces to work on so far.! I have always wanted to be a spy…but now I can’t get the song out of my head. And what’s with that weird photo?…so creepy!

The ephemera: : Original: vintage photo; various tickets and passes; old slide frames; map and plan snippets; vocabulary card, postcard; war coupons and more

The found objects: vintage : cigar box; radio tube; chess piece; tiny light bulb; bullet casing; rusted nail; optical lens; luggage tag; old film negative; vial of mystery powder; game pieces

Spare Parts

She kept her spare parts, neatly organized on the shelf, just in case.

One of my first attempts at  assemblage box, years ago. Gifted to my sister.

The ephemera: picture of a stone angel, vintage sheet music, snippet of reproduction of a plan of the Vatican, fragment of an old love letter.

The found objects: broken cherub, vintage watch parts, crystal and an antique door pull.

Love Nest

They were nesting, buying plants, painting old furniture to make it new again, setting up the kitchen and decorating the apartment with a combination of his and hers.  Young love blossoming and solidifying in the give and take of yours and mine, becoming ours. SOLD

The nesting box

The lid

The love nests

The ephemera: old love letters and papers from 1800’s France; natural history plate of bird’s eggs.

The found objects:  vintage tart tins; tiny pewter hearts; paper wasp’s nest; small bird’s nests; various feathers; seed pod; antique porcelain doll arms; moth cocoon; vintage anagram letters; antique cigar box with labels.