Old Still life (repost) by helanker
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Description
I painted this many years ago, when I was in my 30´s or even younger. Cant remember exactly when. It is an oil painting of things, I inherited from my Grandmother. I remember exactly where the things stood in their home. I just Loved their home. Not the one down near the water, but LUNA on the hill above the Harbour. The house, few of you saw painted by my uncle some weeks ago.
They had an attic with a spare room, which never was insulated, so if we slept over night there in the winter time, we could wake up with frost on our very heavy duvets. The duvets were like to sleep under a sack of cement, but it was warm and before we went to bed, MY grandmother gave us some metal containers with hot water in to warm up the ICY beds :) We loved it. It was so special and amazing, that we just saw it as a new adventure. I remember it as if it was yesterday.
The smell of the attic was awesome. Loved that smell. The smell of adventure. So much to find up there. Bob games, old corals from my grandfathers time as a mate on a big ship. He brought alot of such home. I have many of them today. Also the Etagere, My grandfather made for my grandmother with wooden cotton reels. All the corals and conches and such were neatly placed on the shelves. I was always very fascinated by them. So later on, I inherited them all, when she passed away. There were Boy´s books...I read them all on a summer holiday with my grandma as a school girl. Old magazines. And so much more. Looking up, you could see the raw tiles from the roof. It was amazing and warm up there in the summer.
The only thing I didnt like, was when grandma asked me to clean all the garden paths for weed. It wasn´t a hard work, as she really kept them pretty neat herself, but still. I didnt like it, but I did, what I was told to do and I left them with nice patterns from the garden rake. She had lettuce, potatoes, redcurrants, wonderful winter apples named Cox Orange. The best apples in the world, parsley, leek, you name it. As I remember, the sun was always shining ;-)
Grandma had a very large bin on the other side of the house near the entrance. It was a hole in the ground with a bit square lid, but there were alot of space for garbage, but after harventing lettuce and many other veggies, she didnt always drop it there. No, she put it in an old basket and sent me to my aunt 4-5 houses down the hill. Aunt Augusta had chickens. Oh did I love those chickens. They went berserk, when I brought all the goodies (included egg shells) from grandma. It was great fun to seem them fight for the food and they loved rain worms. So I digged alot of them up, just to see how they ran around like crazy to get them. What a joy that was. Ok, I better stop before you run screaming away.
Have a great day/evening :) For once the sun is shining Hurray!
Comments (14)
durleybeachbum
Your story is such a delight, Helle, I was transported back in time with you. I could read a whole book of you writing like this! And, Cox's Orange Pippins are the best in the world, you are right! I still buy them when they are in the shops.
auntietk
Like Andrea, I would never tire of stories of your childhood. You have made me think perhaps it would be fun to write down some of my happier memories! I'm always telling other people to do it, but never think my own life was all that interesting. Thanks for the eye-opener this morning! LOL!
Your painting is beautiful. When I saw it in my activity feed I thought it was a photograph! Gorgeous work from you, as always. :)
bmac62
Beautiful painting Helle. And you've done the same for me as for Andrea and Tara. Memories of my grandmother have washed over me as I read your tale. She and I had great times together...she introduced me to the magic of National Geographic magazine (she had about 30 years worth), stirred my imagination with trips to the major museums of New York City and filled me with adventuresome stories of my young great grandfather riding as a cavalryman in the US Civil War. I should write these things down for my grandsons to enjoy. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
jayfar
A wonderful story Helle and you are so lucky to remember grand parents - I have no such memories. I love your painting too.
kgb224
Outstanding work Helle. God bless.
goodoleboy
Great painting of the fine China from long ago, and I like that frame, Helle. And your anecdotal narrative sounds like life in the USA during the mid 1880s.
blondeblurr
I love your painting and your story, what wonderful memories you have of your Grandma and those adventures as a child, never to be forgotten... I agree with you, attics are amazing places, to find treasures and then act out and play games - marvelous Helle. Let's hope that Grandma's porcelain in your paintings lasts another 100 years or more - anyway, they are now immortalized here forever...
RodS
A beautiful painting, Helle, and such wonderful memories, my friend!
sossy
perfect framed and wonderful painting of enchanting things that bring back all the memories of your childhood! I also wrote down adventures with my grandma and I also saved cups and more of her 😃
Cyve
WOW... Fantasticall well done my friend !!!
aksirp
such a lovely painting and memories, wonderful done Helle!
dochtersions
I can't read everything but the painting is wonderful, Helle.
jocko500
this is wonderful
anahata.c
I was sure I'd commented on this. Well, I did in a letter, but I guess not here. First, your story was a delight---as everyone here attested. You wrote it totally-naturally, with total grace, and a child's view---that is, with all the wonder we have as children. Beautifully written. And I could smell the smells, and see the ceiling, and feel the ground, etc etc. Beautifully told. Like others, it brought back memories for me too. (Even about the chickens---which we never had, but which I saw plenty of, being from the Midwest.) Wonderful writing, Helle.
My only regret is that the beautiful tale took some attention (of your fans) away from your painting! Well you know how much I love it. You caught the strange faded cream-gray of the pitcher. A very hard hue to capture, and you did it. You got the worn curls, and the glaze, and the grayed flowers. And the light---which falls on it opaquely, not shining. You caught the etched sides of the sugar pot. And the colorful trim (with gold trim around it). And the different shades of white as we go around it.
And the delicate detail on the cup and saucer (you have a real variety of images here). And the cup and saucer have a 'faded' look, as if they're so delicate from age, they're only partly present. They're beautifully delicate amidst these stronger shapes.
And then the apple, which is 'sculpted' almost as Cezanne would do. With dark greens and reds on either side. And your background is a kind of rust-green thing, varied quite a bit, and perfect as backdrop to this delicate set of hues. I love this. It's worthy of any painting in your gallery. And it's oil too---which I know you don't do anymore, so it's so exciting to see you do it here.
A beautiful painting, to accompany a beautiful story. One of your most touching uploads of late.
I'll finish a letter soon. I want to reply to all you wrote. I hope you're doing well, and Per too. Your temps seem on the cool side (or at least they were, last week). I hope you're resting and doing well, and that the summer is good to you. More soon...wonderful work.