This may not be a big surprise to my loyal readers: I have an emotional relationship to the materials I use in my art. Sometimes it takes ages for me to get comfortable with using some of the materials I've gathered perhaps years and years ago. I like to spend time with my vintage finds and get to know them before I commit to making something out of them. There's no going back with one of a kind items, especially when moving forwards means doing some permanent damage to the original piece.

Somehow this slow approach has proved to be worth all the waiting - so far I've never regretted using a one of a kind piece in my art, even though that seems to be the biggest fear I have when working with unique materials. That being said, I give myself a nice pat on the back whenever I take the plunge and use something I haven't spent that much time with. Sometimes you instantly know a project you want to use your new find in, but even then I tend to push that project further into the future just so I can mull over things a bit longer.

This piece is a combination of very old things and some papers I only had for less than a week before chopping them up for this box. The old utensil case was one of those hard to let go items - tearing out its insides immediately ruled out many other potential ideas I'd had before, and at that stage I had only a vague idea of what I was going to create. The case is worn and wonky just lovely, and I was able to salvage the silky hinge and the blue and brass edge trimming. The case still closes perfectly, but you can also use the latch to hang this piece fully open.

He's an awkward one, I think, and I do know a lot about awkwardness. Also about misunderstandings.

promises are like pies, made to be broken

the story goes she did not write him after he gave the girl a kiss and his nearest thing to a smile

I'm not sure what this old perforated piece of metal is, perhaps a filter of sorts. I have a few of them in different sizes, and somehow I've always imagined doing some embroidery on them, but on this piece it felt too feminine. Instead I added some text and a few frosted glass seed beads. The embroidery idea will have to wait for another time and context.

(utensil case, vintage photo, cut up encyclopedia text, book pages and covers, thread, frosted glass seed beads, board, paper, glue)

size closed: 15,8x16x3,5cm  /  6.2"x6.3"x1.4"

size open: 15,8x32,3x1,7cm  /  6.2"x12.7"x0.7"

These moody pieces are what touch me perhaps the most, but they're also the hardest to sell (and often I like them so much I don't even put them up for sale - this one will be for sale soon-ish, contact me directly if you want it this very moment) as most people seem to like their art on the more positive side, or they're buying art for someone else and they need something neutral or happy. I try to make happy things every now and then, but these glum things will be created whether I want or not, they simply come to me a bit too easily!

After finishing this piece I'm dreaming of some teeny-tiny mixed media work, so maybe you'll see something very small here next Monday!