Monday, March 31, 2008

The little fellow with the umbrella - Der kleine Kerl mit dem Regenschirm

When a house has to be sold because of the death of the person who last lived in it, then a lot of things have to be organized. My stepdaughter's grandma died last summer, and her house has to be emptied before being sold. The valuable things already having been taken away, what is left now are all the things people can collect in a long long life, things which they perhaps wanted to throw away but because they had a house, kept them.

All these things will be taken away next week.

We looked a last time through everything, took some documents and photos and then left. I was almost out of the door, when I saw this dirty little fellow sitting in a grimy little basket in the once so cosy living room. He has a pointed snout, his colour is a dirty beige, he has got a smudgy pink bow around the neck and the umbrella he is holding is of wood and a piece of limegreen felt. He lacks hair at many places, and one eye is a little protruding.

I took him with me. I like him very much.

He now sits on my desk, leans against a roll of tape and wonders. Ponders. He looks a bit sorrowful, but also relieved, don't you think so?

I have painted him with my new Derwent intense ink crayons, (a sweet present from Sabrina :) and Cathie, :))and my watercolours.

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Dieser kleine Kerl sass in einem Haus, das ausgeräumt werden muss bevor es verkauft wird. Alle wertvollen Sachen sind schon weg, was bleibt ist all der Ramsch, der für diejenigen, die in dem Haus wohnten, etwas bedeutete. Vielleicht sind auch Sachen dabei, die jemand schon lange wegwerfen wollte, sich aber dann doch nicht traute, wegen der Emotionen.
Am Samstag überprüften wir, d.h. mein Mann, meine Stieftochter und ich, alle Räume noch einmal bevor der ganze Ramsch morgenvon einer Firma agbeholt wird.
Wir waren schon fast aus der Tür, da sah ich diesen kleinen, schmutzigen Kerl in einem kleinen, genauso schmuddeligen Körbchen sitzen. Er hat eine spitze, abgewetzte Schnauze, es fehlt ein Filzrondell an der einen Tatze und hier und da sieht man nur Stoff statt Fell. Das Schirmchen ist aus Holz und einem Stück grüngelben Filz.
Ich hab ihn mitgenommen. Nun sitzt er an eine Rolle Klebeband angelehnt auf meinem Schreibtisch. Sieht noch ein bisschen ängstlich aus, aber schon wieder ganz zufrieden, oder?
Die neuen wasserlöslichen Derwent Farbstifte, ein schönes Geschenk von Sabrina und Cathie:) habe ich gleich an dem kleinen Kerl ausprobiert!


15 comments:

Genie said...

Glad he has found a wonderful new home.

Katiejane said...

Andrea, he is the most precious souvenier. I'm sure he is so happy you rescued him. I love old things like that. Personal things. Things that could tell you a story if you only took the time to listen. Listen to him and see what he has to say. Lovely drawing, too. You make him look much more pretty than he really is, I bet.

sukipoet said...

He is soooo sweet. That umbrella just makes his super special. I bet he is so happy to be sitting on your desk and to have his portrait painted. That must make him want to spruce up.

I saw a program on tv about a man who paints ill people in the hospital's portraits, esp. children. They come and pose for him and it makes them feel seen and good and not such a pariah through being ill and in hospital. Apropos of nothing but thought of it when I saw little bear's portraits.

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

What a cutie. He probably thought no one was going to give him a home and he would be tossed into the trash. He is adorable. I LOVE your watercolor's & drawings. They are priceless. They cheer me up every day. Thanks for that. :)

Elis Cooke said...

love the colours in these paintings! namaste Elis.

Lynn Cohen said...

Your love for this little fellow/or gal, just shines through your painting of him/her. Doesn't it make you wonder where the grandma got him, when, for what reason, and what it meant to her all the years that she kept him? It does me.

Anonymous said...

I think he is happy to have found a good home.

Love the bookmark in the next post, such fabulous colors.

La journée de Miss Doodle said...

Genie, Katie Jane and Lynn: I wanted him to let me know his story but for the time being he is mute, perhaps he'll tell me his lifestory in a few days:)

Suki, I think that is a great idea to go and paint the children, it sounds like a sweet thing to do!

Cris, thanks so much, what a great compliment, I return it to you !

Elis and Sue, I love experimenting with my new watercolours (birthday presents, how lovely:)

Anonymous said...

So cute, i love him so much ! The colors are so sweet and very well chosen. Apologize for my poor english. Sunny

La journée de Miss Doodle said...

Hi Sunny, your english is very good, and thanks so much for your comments on my blog, how nice to meet you, you have a wonderful name:)
Andrea

Andrea and Kim said...

Andrea, I am so glad you found this little guy! He was waiting there for you to love and to paint!

In the paintings of him, I see him saying "I love this painter" and the painter says, "I love this new, little, old friend." It does come through loud and clear.

It is so difficult to dismantle someone's life, but I think you have captured a very special part of your step-daughter's grandmother's life...a private part, maybe!

Thanks so much, Andrea!

Unknown said...

Kim, I think this is the best I could do to capture something of someone's long life, which is now over. I haven't known her for a long time when she passed away, but she was a sweet old lady, with no one else left of her family but her grandchild. Perhaps this is what shines through the image of the little fellow under his umbrella.
Andrea

Andrea and Kim said...

I think you are so right, Andrea, to capture this special little bear. Your stepdaughter is going to be so grateful for the friend and the paintings later in her life, too. They are all so very lucky to have you for however long you have or had been with them. You have captured something very special, indeed. One can even feel it through the computer! :)

Mary Richmond said...

lovely drawing--as someone still in the midst of clearing out a house, i understand! we did my great aunt's a while back, then my mom's last summer and now my in laws' house...it's a long, emotional process to be sure!

Unknown said...

Adorable little teddy. I also love your ethereal peacock, you paint beautifully. (found you on a blog I usually visit and from the list, I now cannot remember which one! love your blog though : )