Rusted

I know, I know... what I am about to share isn't really rust.  Purists would call it 'corrosion.' My first rust book was just called Rust, but for this book in a box I like the idea of calling it 'Rusted.' And when you say "Rusted" you need to kind of go inside yourself and find your grrrrs, then curl your lips into a bit of a snarl and let the word rip right out of your mouth. I present to you -rrrrrr- "RUSTED!"

 Some folks see things in the abstract forms... now that I have had them pointed out I see them all the time. So, my question is - how much rust can you get out of a metal washer? I hope I haven't used it all up because I am not done experimenting yet. The watercolor paper covered with rust, dyed with tea bags covered with beeswax, the unexpected and unpredicatable results... I'm in heaven... or perhaps this heady feeling is from the vinegar fumes mixed with the smoking beeswax?

Playing with sticks

When in doubt play with sticks...

Y? because they are so pretty...

The birch branches are a rich brown with white spots and are shiny and smooth.

Then there is always the curly willow to play with.

Giggle...

meet Atlas the guy on the left,

and Ma'Lady (crossing her legs),

or Tall man - for who posture is everything.

Yeah, I know... I am not making very fast work of cleaning up from the storm.

Each branch has to be checked for "potential".

So far my potential pile is as big as the composting brush pile.

Y?

because it is always good to have stuff to play with.

Miss Frizz and me

Miss Frizz...

I just don't know why

I love that rusty ochre orange with black and white?

I mean I LOVE how the colors harmonize together.

They just make me purr with contentment.

I hear you purring too.

You must like those colors too.

Did you know the secret is in the apple cider vinegar. Yup... that's my rusty secret.

Love

It was with great sadness we cut Scarlet (Willow) down. She was bent to the ground and it didn't seem possible she could recover from the storm. As I pruned the branches into managable piles for the compost pile I collected the special pieces. Imagine my surprise when I laid them all out. Oh the joy at receiving such a message. It is one thing to find heart rocks, but to find letters which form words? I indeed have someone very special on the other side of the veil of life giving me constant encouragement.  

 

Rusty heart

Rusty red...

Rusted!

Oh, my goodness. What fun! I have been rusting watercolor paper and experimenting with encaustics. For my first rust experiment I layered damp watercolor paper and metal washers and sprinkled some recycled tea over the paper and let it do its thing overnight. The results weren't bad.   Then I decided to try using the whole tea bags sandwich between the layers of paper. Meanwhile on the bottom side I layed out some steel wool fibers. Next morning... nothing. The tea bag part was pretty cool but no change in the steel wool. Humm... oh, add salt and vinegar!  I put a tiny bit of epsom salts on the tea bag side along with a dribble of vinegar and wow. Things started happening. See the 3rd picture.  I think perhaps the best part is what happened to the paper towel  I was using to hold in the moisture overnight (bottom images). What color!!

Top photo:

strip #1 - just the tea bags

strip #2 -  metal washers and tea sprinkles

strip #3 - the encaustic experiment with sumi-e ink, watercolor and beeswax

Photo #2:

strip #1 - black and white swirl - more encaustics

strip #2 - rusty washer rings and tea sprinkles

strip #3 - whole tea bags, epsom salt and vinegar (stuff bleed through from the back experiment?)

  

Close up of the tea bag, salt, & vinegar



This strip was the steel wool, vinegar and epsom salts experiment

Close ups of the rusted steel wool on watercolor paper

and below the paper towel.



Don't you think a trip to the metal scrap yard is in order?

Bubble gum heart

Sometimes, okay frequently,  when walking along with my best friend he will all of a sudden notice my voice has grown distant. This causes him to stop, swing around to see what has happened to me.  Typically I am straddling something on the sidewalk taking a shot. Because most of the time, I am looking down, looking for stuff - any kind of stuff.  This time he took the many steps back to me to see what it was.  His eyes widen and he grunted, "It's just a piece of bubble gum!" he said with a tinge of disgust. "Yeah, but its shaped like a heart!" I exclaimed in a cheerleader voice. He turned on his heel and walked away with me following behind doing the Texas long step to catch up.  

Full Moon Heart

You can barely see the branches above...

almost looks like batik.

After photoscaped...

you can see Mother Natures magic trick.

The delicacy of the cross.  

It is a full moon tonight... get your camera ready.

Lucky at hearts

We were exploring the Thea Foss Waterfront in Tacoma when I looked up. 

Oh! Look! I shouted

Within seconds the fluff turned into an ordinary cloud.

He never saw it.

That was okay... I had gotten the message,

and the photo too!

Smile.

More stones

Each is a little different, just like each of us.

Stone hearts

Where ever I go - there they are.

You do have to pay attention or you might miss them.

I believe they are messages from those who have passed over.

What do you think?

A heart or two a day