The World as It Is- in My Drawers

Day #8, Monday November 25, 2013 from What's in My Drawers.

The World as It is
Acrylic, collage, colored pencil,
ink and silver pen on cotton rag
hand made paper with inclusions
16" x 20"
©NanciHersh
$200.00

                                                                                           

The World as It is incorporates pages from the found book, The Conquest of Fear.  A visual journal, each panel is an emotional response as I came to terms with a genetic breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. The hand of a clock references the cell mutations as a ticking time bomb in my body, as well as, keeping track of hours, minutes. And remembering to stay in the moment.

The World as It is, detail, right panel

It is also about wanting to feel whole despite surgery, and learning to accept and love my body and my situation as it is.

The World as It is, detail, left panel

I am not sure what I have hanging from a thread from my ring finger. It feels like a hopeful talisman.

It must be powerful, gratefully I am still here.

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Up for Air- in My Drawers

Day #7, November 24, 2013 of What's in My Drawers.

Up for Air
Acrylic, water based ink, graphite and collage on paper
11" x 14"
©NanciHersh
$125.00

                                                              

Up for Air is a painting I did on a page in a large sketch book with water based ink, acrylic, graphite and collage. I dated it 3/23/13 so most likely it was "officially" Spring but didn't feel like it - yet.

By the end of March, I am SO ready for warmer temps.  Our koi stay submerged until the temperature warms up to 50 degrees or so.  I always feel optimistic when I see them come up to the surface.

I like the freedom and spontaneity in this piece. Reminds me to stay loose and playful like my beautiful scaled friends.

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Big Blue Bunny- in My Drawers

Day #6, November 23, 2013 of What's in My Drawers.

Big Blue Bunny
acrylic on paper
42" x 30"
©NanciHersh
$400.00

                                                            

This was one of the first paintings of Lambchop my beloved surfing rabbit.  (yes, he did surf.)

A gift from a dear friend after my first rabbit, Rabbi hopped out and away through an open door. Lamb was my muse for a quite a while, and a companion for 11 years in Hawaii and NJ. 

The paintings on canvas have all been sold, except for one- which hangs in my home. This acrylic on paper shows Lamb, ever inquisitive and always on the hunt for fresh wires and wood baseboards to chew.

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Mr. Hardin & Tommy - in My Drawers

Day #5, November 22, 2013 of What's in My Drawer

Mr. Hardin and Tommy
Lithograph with painted paper pulp
21" x 29.5"
©NanciHersh
$400.00

This print is from my Ranch Camp Series, named for the old plantation where I lived on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii in the early 1990's.  I was recently divorced from my husband, in graduate school, and was using my work to find connections to this place I loved - and my roots thousands of miles away.

Mr. Hardin lived at the corner of my short little road that emptied into miles of sugar cane, Mt. Ka'ala behind me and the Ko'olau Mountain range in the distance. Directly in front of my little yard was all of Mr. Hardin's roosters, chickens, dogs, buckets, cages, junk- all covered in the red dirt of the cane fields.  

One afternoon when I walked to the end of the road to get my mail Mr. Hardin was sitting in his open car port drinking beer with his crony Tommy. They asked me to join them. I ran home, grabbed an aluminum lithography plate I had at home and began to draw directly on the plate as they "talked story."

I pulled a few prints of this litho, this is the only one with color which I painted on with wet paper pulp- and the only one left of Mr. Hardin and Tommy.

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Considering the Fork- in My Drawers

Day #4 from What's in My Drawers?

Considering the Fork
Monotype with acrylic, graphite and pastel on paper
15" x 22"
©NanciHersh
$185.00
                                                         

Considering the Fork is the "week before Thanksgiving" selection from my drawers.

The fish is considering the fork, the fork may also be considering the fish. 

What was really happening here was that I was thinking about my work; the koi paintings and my wire, pulp, encaustic sculptures of utensils and thinking, "What the Fork?" 

What, if any, is the connection between these two bodies of my work- the Koi Pond Series and Inherently Found Series?   

It's there. Give it some food for thought. pun intended.

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All That is Good Is Yours- From My Drawers

Day # 3, November 20, 2013 from What's in My Drawers.

All That is Good is Yours
Graphite, spray paint and collage
8" x 5.5"
©NanciHersh
$50.00

                                                 

                                                             

This is a collage incorporating another page from the found book The Conquest of Fear.  The page is intentionally upside down as I remind us that All that is Good is Yours.

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Enjoy this beautiful day!

The Conquest of Fear - from My Drawers

Day #2,
Tuesday, November 19, 2013 of What's in My Drawers? 

Conquest of Fear 3
Graphite, colored pencil, collage on hand made cotton paper
16" x 20"
$200.0
©NanciHersh

"And one has to understand that braveness is not the absence of fear, but rather the strength to keep on going forward despite the fear."

                                                                Paulo Coelho (born 1947), poet, writer

These collages were part of processing and healing from breast cancer surgery and treatment several years ago.  Pages from this book, pattern pieces, and other symbolic imagery and materials - like hole punched circle, all referencing the body and experience flow in and out of this body of work.

Conquest of Fear 3 (detail)
©NanciHersh
$200.00

Coincidently, today while drawing in my studio today I listened to a recent podcast of writer, playwright and social activist Eve Ensler's interview with Krista Tippett Onbeing about her cancer experience and Getting a Second Wind in life.  Listen here to this wonderful conversation.

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