Do you honor your visual companions?

post #314
       I took a big step along being in a new-to-me house -- with the help of Bob and Carolyn. For two hours on Thursday we hung what I call my visual companions. These colors, shapes, images, words, are from my life so far. Along with my joy in them, each has a story and a history. 
       I am putting my own photo work on the first floor, especially in the Gallery area, and all are for sale. Then upstairs I now have my visual version of surround sound. I am so happy  these images are back to being an integral part of my daily life.  I want to share these this week and next, since a few more will be up by then. However, I do hope that moving homes isn't the only way to bring together your own visual companions to be there for you every day! I know George Ella, for example, is an ace at keeping herself surrounded.
        So, without the full stories for now, here first is some color in the downstairs. The Afghan was knit by my mother, its friend came from some airplane, and the red wool shawl was a present from my stepmother after her trip to Russia. They all keep me warm!

     Actually the primary decoration downstairs at the moment is piles of papers needing sorting.... Here is a stash that looks fairly tame and do-able. Not always the case. Thank goodness for cardboard boxes....

So, it's upstairs we go, with four treasures on two walls, across from each other:

we three sisters, in the mid fifties....

fern photo by my friend Mary Rezny in Lexington

a favorite Japanese print

an endlessly fascinating hanging quilt piece by Debbie Stephens, from Elliott County

 Two in the hall, the first a bulletin board from my childhood that will have family photos on it once I have the time/luxury of pulling that project together:

      This next treasure hangs in the stairwell.... I once fell in love with this photo by Howard Bond. I got brave and bought it, at a short-lived photography gallery in Lexington. I think I justified the cost by telling myself that if I was going to be a photographer, I had to do my share of supporting other photographers as well. It shows famous worn stairs from Wells Cathedral in southern England. I only discovered two years later that I once visited there as a 9 year old! I must have been amazed by them then, and I stay amazed now. My father and stepmother later drove to Wells with me. I always appreciated that we made that trip.

        By next week I will have time to make a proper photo of the stairwell to show how the photo now hangs in relation to the steps in this house. I also have those other treasures to share. I need to move on to other tasks at the moment, however, and I thank whomever is reading this for having joined me today for my introduction to several of my particular visual companions.