Sunday, November 21, 2010

SHADES OF MONDAY

This is the first time I've participated in BLUE MONDAY at Smiling Sally, so I hope I'm doing it Okay.



This the watering globe which we all agree should be a SpokesGlobe on a midnight commercial by Ron Popeil---the begonia it supplies has left the pot entirely, growing leggy and tall, climbing the sheers, waving at the mailman, grabbing hold of a hanging lamp and chain, and taking flight clear up into the ceiling. We've never fed it, and wish we remembered the name of that potting soil. We'd make millions.





One of the racks of Caro's collection of hand-painted plates---this one has mostly blue. as it hangs over a small, welcoming blue velvet rocker in the corner.




This plate has more teal than blue, but I love the way it's so meticulously painted. It seems as if it's been done with that color-flow method, like with royal icing, for you can see the little fences around each color, to corral it into the shape, and the paint mounded until almost-overflow stage.




You can see the little individual pools if you click.



It's hard to tell on this one if it were painted and then inscribed, for it almost appears like that "found image" type of painting, with a palette knife or brush handle to incise to the white of the glass. I love the lapis shade, and the gleam of the finish, like the pattern of a basket, or a dragon's scales.



And this one---this one is mysterious and exotic. Perhaps it's a flagon of fabulous perfume, or a censer for secret rites, or even a funeral urn. Could be a two-story genie house---who knows? We occasionally speculate as we sit and chat, and we'd be so disappointed if we found that it was something prosaic, like a ketchup dispenser.



A handy stack of books beneath the bench---the blue sky and water of Scotland are a lovely punctuation to the pile, and remind me of a wonderful visit there.


Steaming red tea in my favorite teacup---it's blue outside, white inside---called Summer Sky by Wedgwood. A lucky find in some thrift shop or other, though I did spend several hours at the factory in England, watching the artists at work, painting the dainty china. I bent for a long time, peering into the long, long waist-high cavernous space of the conveyor belt, watching the gray clay shapes riding into the faraway inferno of the kiln room.

A nice roomful of blues, with big windows for gazing out into the November sky.





Thank you for letting me participate in Blue Monday!

14 comments:

  1. What a lovely assortment of blues! I have always drooled over those blue watering globes.

    Happy 1st Blue Monday, Racheld.

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  2. A lovely post with a variation of blue.

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  3. The all blue plate is beautiful! Love that shade of blue.

    Bad News: You know your horse...the one that had gone missing? The Begonia did it! It surrounded him with leaves and vine and made it nigh unto impossible for him to escape. So sorry. :-(

    :-)

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  4. Hello Everyone!! It's lovely to see you all here this still-dark Monday morning! I do hope you'll drop in again.

    And Tonja, he's a unicorn---Chris brought him back from Germany when we were first married. He'd carved out his exact shape in a huge cube of styrofoam, duct-taped the two halves shut, and wore the roll of tape on his WRIST, so he could let customs cut it open and look, then tape it up again.

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  5. Lovely blues! I love the teacup and saucer - I can see why it's a favorite - I had wondered about those watering globes - you just made me think that'd make a great Christmas present for my daughter - she always forgets to water!
    Kathy

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  6. Oh I have one of those Bulb Watering tools. Love using them. All the blue plates are very nice.
    Happy Blue Monday.
    Getting ready for the Holidays

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  7. I am glad you joined us today for Blue Monday. Please come again as you shared some very pretty blues.

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  8. A beautiful collection of blues! I liked your sky view best! Jacqueline

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  9. Hello and Happy Blue Monday.
    Thanks for stopping by my blog!
    I just love your writing style, it is fun. I rather enjoy the idea of that plate looking like Dragon scales - I love dragons...

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  10. Those were a lovely assortment of blues. Thanks for sharing them with us.

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  11. I love that first picture, Rachel. The silhouette of the unicorn encircled by the begonia, contrasting with the bright blue of the watering globe against the lace curtains is almost magical.

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  12. I especially love the blue of the cup and saucer, Rachel. In fact, though I'm not a big BLUE person (my grandmother was addicted to it and rather ruined it for Momma and me) - I love all of your blues. Sadly, my blue Monday contribution would have to be the dark country blue cavernous family room that we've been meaning to repaint since we moved in (almost 15 years ago - shameful!).

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  13. Blue Monday looks just perfect on you, Rachel. Thank you for sharing all of your beautiful blues.

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