Nov 9 2011

Returning to the Horizon Line

Rosemary

Well, that’s all the scarves.

But I realized that when I showed you the first one, I didn’t give it a name yet, so I thought I’d show it again…

This is actually the one that first brought Darlene’s work to my attention, because it happens, by sheer coincidence, strongly resemble a painting I made when I was 18 years old.

The painting was 1.5 feet wide by about, oh, 8 feet long.

The idea was a slice of sky, starting from the sunset west, arcing up across the zenith, and all the way back over to the moonrise east. As a result, you could view it two ways: sunset at the bottom (putting moonrise upside down on the top), or moon at the bottom (with upside-down trees and lake with sunset then on the top).

I was never a particularly good artist, but I have a good graphic sense, and the painting worked pretty well, being simple of execution.

Plus: hey, cool idea! I used to flip it around according to the season. Fortunately, my parents’ house had an open stairway in the foyer, with a tall wall perfect for the painting.

And that’s what I saw with Darlene’s scarf, a sort of shock of recognition.

The painting could only hang in one place — but if I bought that scarf, I’d have the image with me whenever I wanted it!

Thus began my obsession.

I love the island in background...

I love the island in background...


The date on this scarf is blurred, so I don’t even know when she made it, or for that matter, when I bought it. A while ago. But this is the one that I first noticed.

And I definitely AM inspired by being able to have these images with me when things get rough. And have them be as beautiful as the versions in my mind.

It's like she reads my mind and puts it on a scarf!

It's like she reads my mind and puts it on a scarf!

You should look for Darlene in the dealer’s room at Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions. Best place to see her work; her website doesn’t quite capture the drama.

Oh, and she has paintings, too!


Nov 4 2011

The Dwellers in the Veil

Rosemary

This is my favorite nebula:

The Veil Nebula

The Veil Nebula

.

Now, if you were to live on a planet orbiting a star inside that nebula, what would you see?

Maybe this:

Yeah.  That's it.

Yeah. That's it.

We lack only actual individual stars — but probably the brightness of the Veil would render the stars invisible.

In the heart of a nebula.

In the heart of a nebula.

It’s another “Color test” of Darlene’s, and it’s the only scarf I have that’s satin.

Lovely and mysterious.

Lovely and mysterious.

When I wear this, I’m a Dweller in the Veil. I’m not from here; I observe you with interest…

Strange is good.

Strange is good.


Nov 2 2011

The white light of my reason, the prism of my heart.

Rosemary

I acquired this one not by paying money, but by trading one of my books to Darlene.

The tones are so rich....

The tones are so rich....

She calls it a “color test” — just experimenting, to see what happens. It came out gorgeous, as you can see.

How can the colors be this rich?

How can colors this pure blend into each other?

At several points today, when thing got absolutely dreadful (computers down, phones down, urgent messages from suppliers via our answering service, having to recite our entire payroll over the phone so we could get paid this week — all numbers, no words, all urgent, no excuses) I just leaned back, pulled out one end of the scarf, picked a color, and gazed.

Just color

Just color

I’m indifferent to fashion, really — but I understand the impulse to want to own, and show, and carry with you, true beauty.

That’s not fashion, that’s art.


Nov 1 2011

Tuesday’s Darlene scarf was: Autumn Koi

Rosemary

The internet was down at work, due to the snowstorm mayhem still in effect in Connecticut, so I couldn’t post this until I got home today.

I think Autumn because of the orange edging...

I think Autumn because of the orange edging...

It’s become traditional that I take these pictures when actually at the DayJob, as proof that I wore the scarf to work.

My work computer was also non-fuctional due to being blown out when they hooked up the huge emergency generator. It happened to my boss’ computer, too. So between partial power, partial computers, no phones (we do Voice Over IP, so no internet means no phones), the place was a zoo. I postponed my weekly discussion with the Boss…

It’s a shame, because the scarves with complex images inspire me more! More power! So, I hated to waste Autumn Koi.

Check it out:

both ends together

both ends together

The fish have raised edges, like the leaves in the Forest at Midnight. I spoke to Darlene once and mentioned how much I admired the technique, and she told me that it was an accident! The raised edges were not supposed to remain, in the original concept. But I think they look great. These edges are silver, instead of the Forest’s gold.

Dated and signed in gold.

Dated and signed in gold.

I needed all the serenity I could get today.

I'll use this one again soon.

I'll use this one again soon.


Oct 26 2011

My scarf by Darlene gives me power

Rosemary

I am still in overtime, forget-about-the-rest-of-your-life mode at the dayjob. Upside: I’m continuing to have discussions with my boss about whether or not this state is permanent, and he does sympathize. Downside: We have no answer yet. Until it’s sorted out one way or the other, I’m still working too many hours.

I generally try to keep my writing life and my DayJob as separate as possible. People around here don’t read much, and it’s more trouble than it’s worth to teach people who already aren’t interested in books that there’s more to SF and Fantasy than UFO’s and vampires. So I tend to just clam up, do the job, get the paycheck and health insurance.

I even dress differently, and there are certain items that wear at conventions and in my personal life, things I haven’t worn at the job because to my mind they are specific signifiers of my Writer persona.

Chief among these being: my collection of gorgeous silk scarves hand-made by Darlene Coltrain:

The center, here seen as the top

The center, here seen as the top

I first started buying them in, I think, 1998. They’re filled with images that remind me of the things I love best: stars, skies, water, the natural world, anything both clearly seen and mysterious.

further down

further down

This is one of my favorites, and one of the ones I’ve had the longest…

near the bottom

moving downward

And yes, I am wearing it at the DayJob. Looking at it reminds me of what’s important, what I love, and makes me feel strong.

Thing are really hard right now, and it’s been going on too long. And I realized that instead of leaving my writer self outside, I need to keep her right here, right up front and center. This so that can I stay focused on fixing things on the job so that I can HAVE TIME TO WRITE AGAIN.

Therefore, for as long as this is going on, I’ll have the same conversation with my boss every Monday, asking what the plan is to fix this — and I shall wear one or another of my beloved scarves to work every single day.

As a reminder to myself — and to everyone around me.

as much as I could fit in the picture.

as much as I could fit in the picture.