It feels like -35 according to my weather app. A perfect day to be in 'art mode' and post to my blog. Upon thinking of ideas for my next art project, I contemplated reviving 'The Rose', which lead to the idea of writing about 'The Rose'. Crime involving art usually makes for an exciting read right? But in this case, the act of procrastination was certainly an accomplice in a hard lesson not learned. Are you familiar with 'stippling'? Stippling is a method used in art where the piece is created by applying one dot at a time, say with an ink pen. This is the method I had used to create 'The Rose'. I can't recall how long it took me to create this gigantuous and majestic rose. I speculate it took thousands of dots to complete the piece; perhaps tens of thousands, or perhaps more. I believe the size was about 1.5 ft x 2 ft. I was very proud when it was completed, and in fact wondered if I may be a bit crazy to have obsessively put that many dots on a piece of paper. On a side note, I still question my sanity to this day, over 30 years later, when I tackle a new art project using this method. The reward was, that my piece, along with those of my art classmates, would be displayed in the school library for the entire school to see. Pretty exciting right? Soon after it was displayed, the librarian approached me, and shockingly offered me $100 for my stippled 'Rose'. Hmmm, okay, so no typical offer of trade for Hubba Bubba bubblegum, chocolate bars or the dessert in your lunchbox for a week...but rather...CASH. Alrighty then, had to think this one over. I had an issue, where I struggle to part with my art. And so I pondered and pondered. After all of that work and all of those dots...do I part with the art? The librarian approached me a few more times and I struggled to make up my mind. Finally, I made a decision and decided I would part with it. Afterall, a hundred bucks was a lot of money! I could not wait to get to school the next morning and go see the librarian. Well, when I arrived at the DP Todd library doors, they were locked. I peered through the glass windows, and could see that the library appeared a mess. The school had been broken into, and the library ransacked and vandalized. Books were torn from their shelves and strewn all about. The displayed art was torn down from the walls; several pieces ripped to shreds...including The Rose. Good-bye to The Rose and good-bye to a hundred bucks. Was this my lesson learned on the subject of 'art and procrastination'? No, not really. Although I deeply regretted my delayed decision and losing out on my riches, I was much more regretful and devestated that my work had been invasively destroyed and erased from existence. To this day, there are works I still struggle to part with, and may not part with ever. And there are those, that I have made final decisions to never part with, despite what I may lose out on. So I guess, maybe, lesson not learned. And on a final note..suspects still at large.
All that is left of 'The Rose'; a sketch created in preparation and planning for the large scale version of 'The Rose' using the method of 'Stippling' - the completed piece, which was destroyed, measured about 18" x 24" to the best of my recollection.
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