Welcome back to another installment of "A Word and a Thing.” It seems a brief interlude has passed since our last exchange, though not without good reason. My absence was due to an exciting development: a collaboration with the window treatment company, Everhem. For those unfamiliar, my creative work extends to the world of wallcoverings and textile design. This partnership with Everhem showcases two of my existing wallpaper motifs (Circus Circus and Dainty Rose), alongside a pair of newly conceived creations (Starry Moon and Winking Diamond). All four patterns are available in drapery, Roman shades, and the charming café curtain. It’s pretty rewarding to witness my illustrations take on these new forms, adorning both walls and windows alike. Should your curiosity be piqued, take a gander over on Everhem’s website, or at my own online atelier where my wallpaper collection resides. Fear not my fellow passionate pattern people, a dedicated post about the creative genesis of the collection, along with my enduring affection for wallpaper and textiles, will soon follow.
But for now, allow me to offer a glimpse into the Everhem photoshoot from Oliver’s and Teddy’s bedrooms. The revamped rooms bring me so much joy, and I hope they will for you too!
Now then! Back to our regularly scheduled programming. Those who have previously indulged in the "Word and a Thing" exercise may know that the selection process for both is often a random affair. A word or a thing may come to you in a dream, present itself in the mundane act of eating a bowl of cereal, materialize during a doom scrolling session, or simply spring forth spontaneously. This week, however, I found myself stumped and wanted to avoid the depths of my own overthinking merry-go-round. Thus, I turned to the ultimate keeper of words - a book! What a concept! I opened up a favorite - Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and decided to do some sleuthing. I recall initially navigating Wilde’s narrative with a bit of difficulty, as I get easily distracted and creatively overwhelmed by beautifully-written prose, interesting names and places . My journey through "Dorian" this time was again slow-moving, due to my frequent pauses to admire the sheer artistry of the sentences or to research obscure objects (ie “lorgnette” - noun- spectacles with a handle…I see a future ‘word and thing’ in her future.) Nevertheless, inspiration was swift to strike upon reading this sentence: “…some little distance away, was sitting the artist himself, Basil Hallward, whose sudden disappearance some years ago caused, at the time, such public excitement and gave rise to so many STRANGE CONJECTURES.”…Strange conjectures!!…there it was.
I had uncovered our word, or rather, a pair of them. Not only did this exercise send my creative wheels into high gear, but “Dorian Gray’s” deliciously dark and fantastical genre also ignited inspiration for the gothic style lettering of “strange conjectures.”
I was so enamored with my choice of words, that the “thing” part of the exercise took a back seat. That’s just how things went down. (If you recall, the star of the show in Vol. 5 was the ‘thing’- Tulips.) ‘Umbrella’, ‘bird’ and ‘fox’ did find their way onto the page, and as you’ll notice in the introduction image, the fox felt like an appropriate protagonist. Two limericks also emerged from this exercise, one involving the title of today’s piece- “strange conjectures” which was inspired my brother’s own strange conjectures: all bears are just humans in bear costumes…please do share if you too have any strange conjectures!
Some may think my ramblings and drawings here to be a bit…random. But for many creatives like myself– randomness is necessary in the initial stages of discovery. This entire "Word and a Thing" endeavor is one grand exploration, a delightful research expedition. You can’t expect inspiration to always strike just by sitting alone at your desk... We must venture forth into the world, immerse ourselves in all that it offers, and live as an active observer. For one never knows in what unexpected moment inspiration will decide to strike. Have that pen and paper ready!
Curiously Yours,
Carly
I love the idea that the conjecture is a thing all on its own. Not sure how I can draw one but I do like an abstract noun!