True North

It’s not by accident that when I reach for a prop on my studio shelves
I am almost always within reach of something
gleaned from Jane Slater’s Antique shop in Menemsha.

I wasn’t planning it but after several hours of looking for inspiration
among the teacups and tarnished treasures
and another few hours of trying to get a natural looking fold to the flags
a graceful line to the falling rocks
and that silly old wheel to balance on a shell…
I noticed that everything in this composition had once been hers.

Well not hers exactly
which is really the point.

My favorite part of setting out to play with a still life composition
is letting objects which have lived most of their lives within reach of someone else’s hands
and overheard someone else’s stories
nestle in amongst each other
and then step back to listen.

Most of the items in Jane and Herb’s shop are brought in by islanders for her to sell.
I’ve been there when a wizened and wispy white haired woman
pulled up to the door in an old station wagon
got out her walking stick
hobbled up the two steps into the shack
sat down in the folding chair next to Jane’s tiny desk
and told her to go look in the back
there were some vases for her.

So as I sit in my studio
far from the island I love
it gives me great pleasure to know
that I can reach out in any direction
and find a touchstone to the Vineyard
to her stalwart Yankees… to the sea.

And yes
sitting on the table
across from my easel
on top of the glass candle chimney
that brass harpoon directs me home.

Thanks Jane