Sunday, December 18, 2005

week #46-holiday drawing

While everybody else is sketching away at Christmas trees, wreaths, and so forth, I have been attempting to draw what is really a beautiful sterling silver menorah. When Jessica (my youngest) spent her junior year in London, she spent the subsequent summer waltzing around Europe -- and she went to Israel. She bought this dazzling, contemporary piece for me and sent it home with a friend - or the friend's parents (even worse) who were coming back to the U.S. toute de suite. They must have sat on the damn suitcase, because the 9th candle holder for the shamus (the candle from which you light each of the others) was bent. I never had it straightened, and so it has its own character. In the drawing, the whole thing looks crooked. But that's because I couldn't get the angles or the proportions right. Trust me, this is the third try. Don't forget to click on the drawing to see it close up in all its glory (grin). It's difficult! Every time you move your head one inch, the whole view changes. Maybe I should wait till Chanukah starts and draw it each night with the requisite number of candles. After 8 more tries, I might get it right - LOL

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rayna, what is Chanukah?

Debra Dixon said...

Those little bent and warped symbols are what makes the holiday special.

When my boys were very little my then husband was carpooling with a guy whose wife did ceramics. He showed my former some mice stocking holders she had made. My former was nice and made some comment. Within days, 2 stocking holders arrived with my sons's names on them. They were horrible. My sons loved them.

Every year I grimaced to put them out. A few years ago one of them fell and the head got broken off the mouse. I thought, "Finally! I can live without these ghastly things at Christmas!" My son went in and promptly glued the head back on and as proud as punch, put the mouse back into service. He is now 22 and the mouse has been holding his stocking for 20 years.

I am now in another life and by george, I actually miss those stupid mice stocking holders.

SideShowMom said...

Rayna, thank you for sharing such a beautiful and personal piece of art!

Lin said...

Rayna -- This is really lovely -- I like the freedom you've expressed in the sketch - and the quirky bend-ness is what makes the piece so special and so YOURS! The idea of lighting a candle each night is so wonderful and so meaningful ... love the tradition and how you've expressed it!

Unknown said...

I agree, the bent part makes this a very special piece.

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