I’m a creative, experienced, multi-purpose artist and art director
who can take projects start to finish in a variety of styles.

Good designs sell –
my designs sell out!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

"Wheel"

I adored my great grandpa.  I sat next to him and held his old man hand, absorbing his pleasure that I liked to sit next to him and hold his gnarled hand.  I was unselfconscious about my childish self being a delight to an old man.  I was just delighted that I got to sit next to him with maximum body contact and listen to him talk about whatever he wanted to talk about, which seemed to be a lot about chickens and nuts and flowers and things.  I liked to look at him and see the countless ages on his face, while I suppose he liked to look at my as yet unlived complexion.

I don’t know that he told me anything spectacular.  It didn’t matter.  I just wanted to be with him.  By the time I knew him, he was kind of parked places.  Here’s the couch, or here’s the rocker, or here’s a corner of a bench.  That made him an easy target for my touching and attention needs.

I don’t want it to sound like I was an entirely passive child that never liked to romp around.  I had my uncle for that, and I suppose Grandpa smiled when I rastled around and screamed when tickled.  My uncle let me climb all over him and be as rambunctious as I liked, but I always went back to Great Grandpa.  I liked to be gentle with him, and he liked being gentle with me.

Since Grandpa was older than Moses, I didn’t have him very long, and when I ended up with some of his possessions, I treasured them because they still felt like him.  I could still hear his voice in my head when I wound up the old clock with the glow in the dark radioactive numbers and snuggled in his giant bed with the wicker headboard.

Somehow, I don’t think Grandpa would’ve minded that I decided to take that old clock apart to see how it worked.  He probably would’ve encouraged my curiosity as I carefully laid out each piece as I unscrewed them, certain to place them in order so I would be able to put them all back together again.  Success!  The wheels whirred perfectly when it was a clock again.  I could feel Grandpa smiling in the afterlife.

I still don’t know how clocks work though.  All those wheels go around and make things move, but it’s still a mystery.  I think I’d like to meet a real human being who actually does understand how a clock works – or maybe I don’t.  Maybe the world is a better place when things like clocks remain mysteries?  Clocks are probably made by dwarves hidden in mountains when they aren’t making magic swords or something.

My younger brother thought he was smart and tried to upstage my clock assembly victory, but his reassembly was a failure.  The clock never worked again.  He did the same thing to my bicycle.  That brother shouldn’t be allowed around mechanical things, especially my mechanical things.  He is not to be confused with another of my brothers who fixed my lawnmower with the spring from a ballpoint pen.  Apparently the gift of mechanical genes is an uneven gift in my family.

In case you’re wondering about my new reality at work, I’ve got to say I’m tired.  Every time I clear off a bit of my desk, new paper appears.  New emails show up as quick as I can read and delete them.  I did get a spectacular dinner out with one of my printers, and a couple fun brainstorming meetings, but that just generated more emails and paper on my desk.  Everyone tells me things will calm down and I’ll do fine.  I’ve decided to believe them until it becomes true.

21 comments:

  1. Tick tock. Time passes and great grandfathers and uncles and brothers who break and fix things and paper on desks and meals with printers all show us the way to the next tick tocks... :) Nice gears kiddo!

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  2. Interesting and thoughtful post, Linda. I enjoy how you tie in the personal with the art, and am amazed that you manage to post at all with your new work responsibilities!

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  3. Maybe remembering my grandpa is in some way reminding me of coping skills for my new job? Grandpa liked farming, but his farm didn't make enough money. He would make commercial pottery to pay the bills and support his farm. I guess I'm not all that different from him in working the real job to support my art? Thanks for the comments!

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  4. Lovely, lovely post. And yes, work will become easier. It's like learning anything new - I remember the first database I did. Holy cow! But eventually your brain catches on. So glad you found time to send out this one.

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  5. I love the clock illustration and the story about your Grandpa. My grandparents use to build grandfather clocks. I use to love to go to the shop and watch them work. I had a little box of clock parts; wheels and gears. I kept it for ages and now it's probably in a hidden area of the basement gathering dust. My sister got the last clock that they built. I wish there had been two.

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  7. Very sweet post :) I loved the feel of my grandmother's hands, they were so soft and gentle.

    Lovely artwork~

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  8. A beautiful post and a lovely description of your relationship with you grandfather. Those childhood moments are ingrained in us forever. As for life today, hang in there and things will eventually calm down...

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  9. I knew it, I wasn't the only one to take apart clocks or other working electronics. Your grandpa sounds like my great grandpa. He would allow all of us to crawl all over him. You are truley blessed having him. Most importantly thank you for writing this story up until now I thought I was a bad kid.

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  10. The inner workings of a clock - fascinating, like your illustration. And I think it goes nicely with the sweet memories.

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  11. I love it when something I remember causes other people to remember happy memories in their own lives. Thanks for the encouragement! I'll admit I need some of that these days :)

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  12. Leanne, yes, the picture of Grandpa and me was taken at my house before we lost the window to an addition put on the back of the house.

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  13. You write wonderfully about you being young and your granddaddy being your victim for attention and cuddles. I'm sandwiched exactly between that now and enjoying seeing my father and daughter together. They need each others energies: the younger to feel timeless calm and wisdom of the old, the older to feel the pure and wild energy of the young. It is a precious time when generations can live closely together; your beautiful clock and story show the wheels of Samsara at work.

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  14. As you said in your comment above, your memories bring up my memories. My Granny just popped into my mind. She was 99 when she died - a very fun character all her life though.

    I like your image and how you chose the red tones.

    The family pics are nice, too. First one - so cuddly and sweet.

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  15. What lovely photos and memories Linda, it is a blessing to have even known your great grandfather...wonderful that you enjoyed some special years together. Work will calm down, it's all so very new...you need some time.....how well your clock fits in with this theme. Another Monday follows tonight and a new week ahead, take care. Jane x

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  16. I love the old photos and your memories; they always allow me to revisit my own. Thank you for sending me back to some of the most beautiful memories I have in this life. :)

    P.S. The job will get better, time is on your side with this.

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  17. Everyone should be so lucky to have loving grandparents! Or maybe to be loving grandparents to children? Thanks for the comments everybody!!

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  18. I love my cuckoo clock. It seems so quiet when it is not running. And the "running" part is indeed magical. Your story was so touching today. Literally!

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  19. Love the way you lay an image out like a welcome mat, and then you lift the edge, a key is there, words that open a whole new dimension. An image, and story-images worth spending time with. Good luck in the next few weeks. Keep drawing!

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  20. Aw thanks! It's so nice to know there are people out there rooting for me :)

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