Monday, September 4, 2017

Uncle Dotty

In the early stages of acquiring language, and relationship terminology in particular, my nephew Bud referred to all aunts and uncles as uncles, and I became Uncle Dotty.

Awesome!

I'm still Uncle Dotty to my now adult nephews Bud and younger brother Stuart.

Awesome!

They recently flew to the east coast from Colorado and Ohio respectively and popped in for a brief visit which included their being in the car with me as I lived up to the quirkiness of my name by screeching to a halt to investigate a bunch of canvases set outside in a neighbor's yard with a cardboard sign—FREE.

The canvases were already painted, and ugly.

PERFECT.

Bud and Stuart helped me load up the car.

I have no attachment whatsoever to what's on those canvases.

What could be better for practicing veiling and layering and obscuring and revealing and transforming?

Pulled one out and started playing today.

free canvas #1
16x20"
work in progress




14 comments:

carol edan said...

I love how you make a story so simple, but full and effective.
What a landslide! What are their sizes??? Is some of the old under the veil? What a great adventure!

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Carol, thank you for your feedback on my storytelling. Sometimes I wonder why I write blog posts every day when I could, say, merely post a photo on instagram. Because I cannot NOT. I guess I am both an artist and a storyteller.

I got maybe a half dozen canvases, mostly in the 16x20" range, one or two a bit larger, many with weird 3-d type collage/modeling 'stuff' affixed to them. This one had some weird compound in what is the upper left corner above, stuff that I had to really work to remove, using various hard core tools (it was too dominant and unappealing for me to want to keep).

The reds and yellows, along with the white collage strips above, are from my co-artist.

Simone said...

that's indeed a wonderful unexpected present... Something you only can make better!

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Already, even with this small beginning, I can feel myself making it my own. At the same time, I have gratitude for my unknown collaborator : )

Laurie Mueller said...

Ohhhhh, my favorite things to do- find cool stuff at garage sales, estate sales, etc. But this was out on the curb, and free! Just waiting for Uncle Dotty to come upon the scene. I love it! I know you'll do wonderful things with this find!

dotty seiter: now playing said...

I wish you could have seen us—a spontaneous, unexpected visit from my nephews; my hubby, the boys, and me in the car; the sighting of free canvases; my hubby's embarrassment at my antics; the laughter and fun of loading up the car with my nephews. The only thing we left behind was a HUGE painting on wood which my hubby refused to allow!

Lola (Jen Jovan) said...

Uncle Dotty! I love that! And free canvases! WHAT? Oh happy day!!! Love to see you working so big, too!

Sheila said...

Joy follows you wherever you go ;)

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Yup—oh happy day! Fun to have big and little going at the same time.

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Well, shucks, Sheila—thanks!

Janet Bradish said...

Nephews visiting, free canvases and a great start! And Uncle Dotty - that title comes with a lotta of love! Looking forward to seeing this paintings journey.

dotty seiter: now playing said...

I totally love being Uncle Dotty! My only thoughts for this previously owned canvas is to keep playing and see where I land : )

Katie Jeanne said...

AHA!! I knew I'd figure out the mysterious case of the free canvas, if I kept reading. :D Sooo cool, and how lucky that you drove down that street at just the right time. Uncle Dotty, what a fabulous name. :)

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Good sleuthing, Sherlock!

Everything about finding those canvases was exquisite—the serendipity of my out-of-state nephews' being in town and calling to see if we could hang out for a brief visit, our decision to drive to a favorite marsh road for a walk, the rambunctious relationship we have which made snatching free ugly roadside canvases have context (and kept my husband from remonstrating, which he might have done had we been on our own).

I love being Uncle Dotty, I love having had that moniker for about 25 years now.

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