Nursery rhymes revisited.
Oh, dear, what can the matter be? / Johnny’s so long at the fair. / He promised he’d buy me a bunch of blue ribbons, / He promised he’d buy me a bunch of blue ribbons, / He promised he’d buy me a bunch of blue ribbons, / To tie up my bonny brown hair. (Old nursery rhyme)
First published in May, 2017.
Poor Johnny.
He was sent to the fair to buy blue ribbons, not realizing that he would be going to the mother of all fairs, the yearly London Grand Ribbon show, where exhibitors, in row upon row and as far as the eye can see, display their collections of lustrous ribbons for sale.
Johnny was told to buy blue ribbons…poor guy…there are so many blues! He is completely flummoxed, yes, flummoxed!
Which does Priscilla want?
Is it sky blue or turquoise or sea blue or ultramarine? And then there is royal blue, and azure, and baby blue….or how about indigo, or midnight blue? Add to that the sapphire blues, the lapis lazuli, the aquamarine and moonstone blues. So many blues that he is truly perplexed!
And then does she want a satin ribbon, or is it velvet? Was it a thin or a thick ribbon? So many decisions that Johnny is befuddled and speechless when the vendors approach him with their offerings.
Why didn’t Priscilla send him to buy an awl, or a socket set, or ratcheting wrenches. THAT he could have handled!
Johnny is, in fact, a brooch, and a one-of-a-kind creation.
I was having fun with papier mâché bought for another project. He is varnished to a high gloss to really make the colours pop. I have made and painted other characters in papier mâché. They are so much fun to make and even more fun to imagine their thoughts as I paint their faces.
I saw some old papier mache figures and was impressed by them and the versatility of the medium. They easily matched our more versatile mouldable plastics and I have been meaning to have an experiment with them myself. The results you have created here Louise have renewed my interest – now where is a bit of spare time?
Spare time is always the issue. I look forward to seeing what you make!
Well done Louise ????