"Little" Collections

Why do we collect things?

I was looking around my workspace today and I seemed to be surrounded by small collections. It got me thinking about the connections we have with THINGS and why we collect them.  

Feathers

Feather Collection

Well, it should come as no surprise that I have a collection of feathers. This is about three years in the making, of found feathers and gifted feathers, which is pretty amazing. :) I love each one! 

So many beautiful patterns

Some North American Blue Jay feathers

I read "The Beauty of Life: William Morris and The Art of Design" a few years ago. It was the first time I had encountered his well-known quote which was given in his lecture "The Beauty of Life" delivered in 1880; 

"Have nothing in your houses which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful"

I wish I could live by those words, unfortunately, I have a lot of editing and downsizing to do before I get there! (This includes some ugly, but useful second hand furniture amongst other things.) 

Handmade Lampwork Beads

These lampwork beads have taken up residence on my desk. They're in a little glass bowl and I look at them every day. I pick them up in my hand and admire them often. They were each handmade by the artisan Christel Wille and I treasure them. 

Antique Buttons

I purchased a jar of buttons at an auction years ago. Recently, while going through them with the kids, I noticed there are some real beauties in there. Knowing nothing about buttons, I make up stories in my head about where they came from. The black ones, some sad mourning Victorian woman. Are some of them faceted glass? Black Jet? 

I have this one hanging on my pin board. How cute is that?!

Treasure! 

I think many of these are made from mother-of-pearl. 

Shells

 Is there anyone who can walk by a perfect shell on a beach and NOT pick it up?!

Pinecones

It's possible I am part squirrel. If I see a nice pinecone, or acorn, I have to pick it up. The kids have  apparently the same affliction, and there are larger pinecones in our mudroom along the windowsill. At the mall the other day, I noticed some HUGE real pinecones decorating the Roots store window. I had to restrain myself from going in and asking what was to become of those pinecones when they redecorate. Come to think of it, I may call the store yet. It would be a shame if they threw those away.

Smooth Stones

Cars...

Well, we pass on the idea of collecting to our children. Not only is there a "stick collection" at my front door, a "rock collection" in the back garden and all along our window ledge in the mudroom, there are "collections" of toys all over the house. 

Is collecting a good thing? Are hoarders considered "collectors"? I suppose there's a limit to a collection, when you stop admiring something for what it is, and want it just to HAVE it.

I hope you enjoyed a look at a few of the things that I enjoy. What do you collect? 

Inspired by Nature

A nest, woven onto the branch 

I'm going to share with you some of the wonderful found treasures that have found their way to me. I am so grateful to everyone who has put aside feathers for me, and other wonderful finds!  This beautiful little nest is from up North. Mike's Aunt and Uncle own a property with a lot of bush. Uncle Tref was out cutting firewood this winter and found this abandoned nest for me. I'm so amazed how it's constructed. Birds are incredible!

This nest includes birch bark, pine needles, wasp nest and possibly spider webs?!

Another little nest,  found Robin's eggshells, dead bee, hummingbird nest with sparrow eggshells

A dead Bee I found in my grass, three Robin's egg shells, found this Spring

Beauty!

A painting I did, inspired by the speckled eggs and sparrow feathers

The tiny nest above was found late summer, last year on my parents' property. It is made mostly of dried grass and dog hair, which is kind of gross, but kind of marvelous. I'm thinking it belongs to a hummingbird - - but, I'm not certain.

I found the three speckled eggshells last year, after a big Spring storm. These were blown out of a nest somewhere in a large Bridal Veil vine that has enveloped my neighbor's fence. I believe they belonged to a small sparrow.

The above abandoned nest was found by my Dad in Cottage Country. It seems to be made similarly to the one found by Uncle Tref. Mainly pine needles, it also has birch bark and pieces of cedar woven into it.

One of my old Robin nests, full of acorns, their caps, seed pods and pinecones

The partial woodpecker wing I found on the street

My woodpecker feathers print

Lake rocks

Small sticks made smooth by the waves

We've been on a few trips to the beach this Spring. There has never been a trip to the beach when I haven't brought back a smooth stone or piece of "sea glass". The last two trips, I have remembered to bring two bags. One for myself, one for the boys. I'm thinking of trying my hand at painting a few of the smooth stones. I haven't painted rocks since I was a kid, so I'm thinking I'll do it with the boys one day, as a fun little "art project".

The smooth sticks, or driftwood, I just find compelling. They feel so lovely in the palm of your hand. I like to imagine they've been floating on the lake for years. I wonder what kind of trees they came from, how big the branch was when it first found itself cast off from the land. 

A real beauty of an Owl feather, found and sent by Wally. :)

One of my Owl Feather studies

I have a few owl feathers in my collection now. They always remind me of my Great Grandmother. We grew up calling her "Daddy's Nana". I actually never really thought about her real name until I was older. It became one word, Daddiesnana.  Auntieshirl and Daddiesnana lived in a great apartment in Toronto. I loved wandering around, looking at all of the little treasures on their shelves, in the different rooms. There were little owl figurines in the one room, and my Dad had carved an owl on a box for her when he was younger, before us kids were around. She kept that box by her bedside. I always wondered what amazing, cherished things were inside. 

Something I'm playing with 

Not Working

A couple of months ago I purchased a bunch of little vases that I thought would be interesting to paint with some of my feather studies. After I prepped some, I painted this blue jay feather. I soon realized I did not like it! I much preferred the contrast of the stark white against the coral colour. They're in my mud room at the moment. I still have a few more to paint. What do you think?