Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Painting rescue, 306th day of the year and peacock connection

I have rescued animals before - the late Cleo and Sophie.  Neither beloved cat had a home before they came home with me.  And a plant - a neighbor retrieved a scraggly Pothos from a pile of trash from a cleared out office at Emory University and asked if I'd like it.  It has thrived on my back porch in the summers and winters in my kitchen.

But this is the the first time I have rescued artwork:

- Last Friday morning, I stopped at the trash compactor at the condos to drop off a bag and discovered this painting lying face down on top of some flattened boxes beside it.  It was wet since it had rained during the night.  I was delighted with this jewel and decided it didn't deserve to be treated this way, so I put it in the trunk of my car and hurriedly drove off to work, since I was running late.

- Later - work friend Brenda and I went out to her car to unload something together and I showed her the painting in my trunk, relating how I had found it.  And then I realized what the inscription on the back said:

- And even more astounding - look at the date!  A November day in the future, the 306th day of 2014.  What do you think about that?  This makes me sad, concerned and astounded, all at once.  I haven't really asked around to see if anyone knows a child named Kayla.  I'm almost afraid to ask.  And there is no Katrina listed in the condominium complex directory.

I guess what makes this a good thing is that the painting has been rescued.  I love its whimsy, particularly because it is a peacock.  Some of you may remember that I grew up on neighboring property to the farm, Andalusia, where the late Flannery O'Connor wrote most of her celebrated work.  I met her on some sort of field trip when I was a little girl - we went to see her peacocks.  I remember a lady with glasses (but that could have been her mother, I'll admit.  I like to think it was Flannery.)  Make sure you click on the link to Flannery's name - there is a photo of her with two of her peacocks.  Click here for a post from May 2009 (the year my father passed away) for his memory of Flannery.

So there you have it - I have a peacock painting and nowhere to hang it.  I have nothing that color in my place, but am thinking it might fit in the unfinished family photo wall in my home office, where it will be home now.

14 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

I love your peacock - and am glad it has a home.
I hope the story has a happiness to it though. Perhaps she made one she liked better? Fingers and toes crossed.

Leonora said...

This painting makes me smile- it's so whimsical and adorable. I don't understand how a gift from a grandmother came to be discarded. There's so many story possibilities here : )

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynn - what an amazing picture and then that inscription ... how devastatingly sad: I agree ..

So pleased you've given the peacock with the magenta background a welcoming home .. certainly very cheerful - quite delightful .. I have a pink sofa that colour?! Perhaps not quite as bright!

Cheers Hilary

LL Cool Joe said...

Seeing discarded artwork is always hard, but being in art student myself years ago, it is quite common, but what seems so sad with this picture is that someone was obviously proud enough to sign it and give it away. I sense there is a sad story behind it, so I'm very glad you have given it a happy ending.

Susan Kane said...

Serendipity at its best.

Sparkling Red said...

Here's my theory: after inscribing the painting for Kayla's upcoming birthday, the Godmommy painted something she liked even better, and so decided to give that second painting instead. Still, I'm glad that the pink peacock has a home now.

Lee said...

I,too, wonder what the story is behind the painting. I hope it's not a sad one.

I'm sure you will find a place to hang the painting...it's found a happy home.

It was painted by the child's godmother, obviously...perhaps she had a falling out with the parents. Let's hope that's what it was.

Joanne said...

So strange about the painting! But at least it has a good home now!

G. B. Miller said...

Very kewl beanie babies. And a very kewl peacock as well.

Father Nature's Corner

Riot Kitty said...

Wow. That is fascinating that it's dated in the future. Great painting, too.

Louvregirl said...

OMG. I am a painter (when I paint) and I have been known to rescue artwork, too, Lynn!!!I once bought a painting at a yard sale that I liked because the 'guy' was selling his Mother's painting for $3.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was worth more than that. Si I bought it! (Felt bad for his Mother that he esteemed her so little!) I have had it on my wall ever since.

Someone put a lot of time into that painting to paint all of those peacock feathers!!! What a great find! Love the intensity of the color purple. Dated in the future....? Now that gets my head rolling! There is a story there....Great post Lynn! I will now go back and check the painting out further.

That painting is whimsical. It would go great in an outdoor area that has funny, whimsical things in it and colors that pop. kwim? :-)

Louvregirl said...

I once knew a lovely artist who tore up or threw all of her artwork away. She always came to the point where (when she studied it) it was not good enough.

Sara said...

The picture is really interesting. There's a story behind it and it makes me curious about what happened that caused it be put in the junk pile ahead of it's time.

Who knows maybe Katrina will find your post. I know I'll thinking about this picture for quite awhile and the mystery of it. If you ever find out, you have to tell us, okay?

Peacocks!!! When I was growing up, some neighbors had peacocks. They are very LOUD birds...that's what I remember about them. An orange grove surrounded our house and we could hear calling...it was spooky at times:~)

Granny Annie said...

God-mommy Katrina was painting this for Kayla's birthday and decided it wasn't very good, so she tossed it. I think you did a wonderful thing rescuing it to give it love, much like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. I actually love the painting and would have considered it a treasure find also.