Monday, December 17, 2007

The story of the young woman I.


Hereunder is a page from my Moleskine, I draw this last week, while thinking about choices. When my grandmother was born, she was adopted immediately because her mother was not married and wanted to avoid scandal. So my dear Grandma was raised in 3 different quite wealthy families in the city. When she was 17 or 18 she had to leave the city and go and live with her mother on a farm and marry a farmer. Above you can see them at their wedding day. It was all arranged between the families. Pure luck that my grandmother Agnes liked my Grandfather Ernst and the other way round, cause they really didn't have their word to say.

Concerning my textile design I am trying to ignore a stressful voice which is calling me, like some little green monster lurking behind the door, knock knock knock.

No. This is a time for reflection and for introspective. Ding Deng Dong.

29 comments:

Donna said...

choice is so very powerful... and if no other choice is available, at least I can choose how to see the situation around me...

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

Love your sketches. you do them so well. Loved the story about your Grandmother. Interesting how she was raised by THREE wealthy families. I agree with quilt pixie.. we do have a choice in HOW we deal with a situation. You can make it miserable or you can make it pleasant.
Hope your projects aren't stressing you so much so you aren't enjoying them. We need to enjoy the process too.

Cathie said...

Andrea, after viewing recent posts and reading this latest wonderful story, is "Young Farmer" your grandmother's "intended?"

Do not succumb to the stress dear friend. Make yourself a cup of tea, grab Oscar to cuddle with and snuggle under your favorite quilt for a few hours. Guaranteed stress reliever. XO

Unknown said...

Dear Quilt Pixie, you are right, and I think it is wonderful to be able to make a difficult situation pleasant.
Cris, I try to enjoy the process of doing the designs but I admit that I have to reason myself a lot:)
Cathie, yes the "young farmer" is my grandmother's intended. I have done a sketch of their wedding photo in November, I think I'll post it again here in this post:)

Lynn Cohen said...

I'm glad you told us that your grandmother liked her husband to be, as she looks a bit sad I think in this beautiful drawing of them on their wedding day. Wonderful history you know about them.

Now get back to work my friend, me thinks you have a deadline that must be met! ;-)

Cathie said...

How specially you "honor" your grandmother. I lost my mom two years ago and was never able to share any of my quilting or art with her as I began sewing as a way I think to fill the huge void left in my heart. I so wish I could have made her a quilt. I KNOW your grandmother (and grandfather) are smiling down on you from Heaven -- and are touched by the way you keep her (their) spirit alive in your heart.

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

I missed the top drawing of the wedding couple. how well you drew it. wow. Love the top hat he has in his hands.
You have never said.. or I missed it but is your husband French? You dont mention him alot.

sukipoet said...

Beautiful drawing. And interesting family history. Imagine, an arranged marriage. So glad it worked out that they liked each other. Glad you are taking (or were) a break and reflecting. Choices. Interesting topic and not a simple one. May you and all of us choose peace and joy.

Sandra Wyman said...

Having spent some time recently researching family history I am so conscious of how many more choices I have than any of the women in previous generations of my family: important to remind ourselves of this, as you have done. Like your grandmother, mine married only after family pressure (my mother had already been born by then and she married the father of her baby). Her marriage did turn out happy though shorter than anyone would have wished as my grandfather died young.

Lynn Cohen said...

There is an award awaiting you on my blog site, when you have time to come by and pick it up.

Unknown said...

I make just a quick appearance to thank you for you comments, which I always love to read. Cris my husband: yes he is french, I guess I don't mention him often because I guess he wouldn't appreciate it, he is shy in a way and likes to stay anonymous:). He is an engineer and very good at science- which I very much admire cause I'm not. He has long hair (pepper and salt coloured) which he wears in a ponytail, he is kind of cute and doesn't laugh when he makes a joke. He is always there, very caring, very supportive, with funny yet pertinent comments about me and my work, he likes ice cream and the Rolling Stones (well as they were before...) and order in his life.

Sandra thanks so much for your interesting comment about choices and for sharing the story about your mother's arranged marriage.

Suki,It is an interesting topic, I so agree with you and it deserves another post...

Now I'll head back to the TPS (temporary priority switch:) have a great day
Andrea

TammyVitale said...

Playing catch up on your blog today...tried pulling it up yesterday and it wouldn't come up - probably something I was doing wrong on my end. See you have been tres busy creating and sketching...are you going to photograph and show us all you take to the show? Love that bookmark you got - the little charms - want to learn how to do that myself. Always admire folks who can combine media so artfully!

Lovely story - and your comment is so right - we DO have so many more choices now...I hope we don't forget that and thus lose them.

hugs

Elizabeth said...

Whata sad and happy story, all at once.
No need for stress... speaking as one who always leaves things far too last minute, it will eventually all get made in time. A cup of tea and a cuddle with Oscar would help too I agree:-)

Hope you have a lovely, peaceful Happy Christmas and holiday time. Love Lizzi

patti said...

An amazing story. I cannot imagine being married to someone I did not even know. They are fortunate to have liked each other.

Unknown said...

Cathie clevelandgirlie, I'm so sorry you lost your mom. I send a minute of thoughts and a hug to all of you,my blog friends here who have lost someone dear in their life. If Christmas has a sense for me, then it includes to think about those we love but who we cannot see anymore.

Lynn, thank you for the award, which I give back to you and my other blogfriends to share. Love to you!

Lizzy, thanks for your support, oh I am a last-minute-specialist too and I love it:) My motto is right now: "we do what we can, and that's it"...It works and leaves me zen and stressfre, yep!

Patty, I guess I would have difficulties to marry someone I did not even know, ...even if it was someone looking like George Clooney or Mel Gobson or Robert Redford younger (sigh)...LOL

Unknown said...

Uhh,Oupps I meant Mel Gibson and not Gobson....LOL

human being said...

Voila!
Another artist
To add to my list!
This one
Hunts the sun
With a pair of scissors;
And cages all species
Of lines and colors;
She invites us to a wedding
In a garden of lines and shadings.

human being said...

That was the fun part ; and this one the serious part:
Thank you so much for letting me see, through your eyes, one aspect of the multi-dimensional truth of this world. You saved me from simplemindedness.
:D

Frances said...

Andrea I hope you are feeling less stressful now at the end of the week,your story about your grandparents is intersting, I love your sketches, have a happy holiday Frances,

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

Andrea, Thanks for telling us a little bit about your Hubby. It kind of fills out the rest of your story so to speak. He sounds like you got a really good guy too. One that supports your artistic work is priceless.
Thanks for all your sweet comments on my blog too.
Hug's Cris

human being said...

Happy

C caring
H hearts
R rarely
I ignore
S souls
T that
M may
A ask for
S support
!

I feel this can be one of the messages of Christmas. :D

The link below was send to me by a friend... thought you may find it interesting.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/weden2.html

May the hand of happiness touch your heart now and always.

TammyVitale said...

Andrea - dropping in to wish you merry happy holidays!

patti said...

Best wishes Andrea for a peaceful and happy Christmas-time with your family. XX

sukipoet said...

Happy holidays, last minute and all, to you and your loved ones. Including oscar. Thanks for glimpse of yr husband. When I first started blogging I wrote about my significant other but then he asked me not to so I had to go back and delete all references to him! Which is fine, glad he spoke up as I tend to blather about everything in my life.

I love pony tails on men. Apropos of nothing. Take care and take a walk thru the Paris holidaytime streets for me.

Linda’s Textiles said...

Thanks for your comment on my blog Andrea, I've been having a look at yours, really love your sketches & your family story.

sukipoet said...

Been thinking of you painting clothes like mad, creating gorgeous things for your upcoming show. I hope you had time to enjoy a bit of wine and song too. Thanks for being my blog friend. Namaste, Suki

Unknown said...

Hi everyone who reads me here,
Suki thanks! I learned a week ago that "my" mask exhibition in Germany will take place in September next year and not in March. Oups...! Well. It leaves enough time to make the whole thing a success. On the other hand, I'm right now working on the textile designs for fair in Francfort/Germany (I'll be there from jan. 7th to Jan. 12th), and I wish I had begun earlier with this task. I'm just now having thousands of ideas and little time to get them on paper. But that's life. (Or better: that's me:)LOL
I'll pop up here from time to time, say hello to you and thank you for not forgetting me...
Love
Andrea

Unknown said...

Dear Adam Brown, I never asked and will ask anything about any diet whatsoever. I never did and never do diets and your site is of no interest to me. I eat or I feast, that's all.

Karen Smithey said...

Sounds like everything is very busy in your world right now! Very exciting--I hope you share pix of the textiles show and the things you take to it.

I'm trying to get out and catch up with everyone--I love the recent sketches. Something very powerful and decisive about them.

The story about your grandmother has really made me think. One of my first thoughts was how difficult the transition from wealthy in the city to married to a farmer in the country must have been for her. And then for it to be an arranged marriage...She must have become very strong through all that...