When Mom wasn’t teaching me to shoot rats at the town dump, or playing Michigan Rummy (with the perfunctory green visors) with her cronies, she’d always have a project. She went through her folk art phase, her quilting phase (see “Quillow” post), and I remember her doing a pheasant by number with tiles or something. In the late 60’s and early 70’s it was “anything by number.” On her living room walls are oil paintings of “Blue Boy,” and “Age of Innocence,” done, of course, by number. Here you see a faux wooden cigar store hanging she painted that is made from styrofoam.
What kills me is that even the back has a “wood grain,” but is not.
Not in the best health, but still as funny and ornery as ever, she has stuck with quilting for many years now as her choice for keeping busy. None of us could’ve known when we were kids what wonderful heirloom treasures she would leave us.
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Allee Willis
I don’t usually like signs like this but you got me at it’s made with Styrofoam and then, of course, that your mother made it.
She nailed the colors for an sun-baked outdoor smoking sign.
I loved that Qwillow that your mom made (https://www.alleewillis.com/awmok/kitschenette/2009/12/09/quillow/) I hope that we get to see a lot more of her stuff here. Is the Phesant tile-by-numbers still around? Or anything by-numbers for that matter? Wish your mom well from us.
Mark Milligan
I know there are still oil paintings, but I’ll have to call her to ask about the pheasant piece. Some of that stuff has been such a fixture in the house since I was a kid that I don’t notice it.
She might think it’s fun to take some pictures and mail them to me, but forget about anything digital with that one, she’s not going there! Otherwise I’ll be over there within 60 days or so to see her and will make it a point of being more conscious of her kitsch with the digital camera!
denny
Did Mom smoke cigars? Take pics of her stuff Mark….we’re waiting….
Nessa
Wow, she did an awesome job! I would have given her an A+ in props class, it looks so authentic!