In late January my wife and I made a fascinating trip to Seattle that included a little side excursion to Salt Spring Island, BC. We stayed in Seattle with my sister Penny and her husband Chuck, and she and her daughter Dalwyn graciously agreed to guide me to Canada to meet the author and artist Nick Bantock in his studio. Penny was the tour guide and Dalwyn the pilot. Myself, I was just along for the ride.
The first thing that I did after returning to Helena was to visit the local antique shops. The second one I visited had no paper but for a large two gallon baggie full of sheet music for the princely sum of $7.00. I hadn't intended to even look through it, but it happened to be the only paper that was in this shop, and I was somehow compelled to look. I leafed through the contents and near the end of my search I found what amounted to a book entitled "Un Giorno In Venezia". It included four songs "for the Pianoforte", which was the forerunner to the piano. These music pieces were published in 1898, and although there were no pencil marks included, the right corner and entire bottom edge of all the pages were foxed and the opening page of the first song, "Dawn", was stained from being thumbed as the page was turned - perhaps hundreds of times. I couldn't resist.
I contemplated what to do with this find for several days and remembered that my sister's husband, Chuck Pefley, had been to Venice and perhaps had some pictures which would help me give this music a second life that didn't include being stifled in a large baggie. I perused his site until I found a picture of a coffee cup, taken from the balcony of the apartment he stayed in while he was in Venice - at Dawn. I immediately knew what Dawn needed - and that was a cup of coffee.
What you see is the result of "wedding" the vision of one artist with that of another, and "First Cup" now hangs on the wall.
And while you're at it, you might want to look at Chuck’s Blog Post for June 18th to see what the Fascination is all about.
The instructions to the pianist translate: "Slowly, as if a sweet nothing." How sweet a marriage this is, and a beautiful authentic image you chose for this first cuppa Venetian morning. Very well done, Dave.
ReplyDeleteAnd right down next to the lip of the saucer is the word espressivo. I didn't discover that until after I'd done that edge of the saucer. Just how observant does I guy have to be??? Thanks for the translation! That sounds about right for just waking up, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteI do go to Chuck's blog frequently to see what he is up to. And almost always enjoy my visits.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your fascination with old paper things. The next time I get to Arcanum, Ohio I will see if the antique stores there have anything you might like and send it to you.
Yes, Patty is related to George Armstrong Custer. They are fourth cousins.