I was browsing through my ‘bears&boxes’ picture files when I decided to see if I could find a date for the first piece I had made for the series. It took me a bit by surprise to see it was way, way, way back in 2003.
I wasn’t blogging then so I am fairly certain these photos will be new to bearbits. I remember being excited about this new idea – combining bears (in most cases) and boxes. I also remember being totally immersed in the project. That still happens.
It was my gallery piece for TBAI and I called it The Flying Pig. The theme that year was nursery rhymes. This one was the one I chose for some very strange reason:
Dickory, dickory, dare,
The pig flew up in the air;
The man in brown soon brought him down.
Dickory, dickory, dare.
The fun bits are the details in my opinion. Here’s the left side. My concept for this section was a take-off (oh, bad pun!) on the side shows at fairs. I designed the crumpled sign in that style. The man (in brown) a sepia toned old photo – maybe even a relative of mine? – reminded me of a barker that draws the crowds in.
Here is the right side –
I included lots of references to flying here with a nod to Charlotte’s Web with the ‘Some Pig’ spelled out in the spider’s web. The bottle labels read: Anti-Gravity Matter, Buoyancy Pills, and Liquid Lift! You can also see a visual reference to Da Vinci’s wing drawing.
Below that is my idea of text from a children’s book about flying pigs. I think the inspiration for it comes from the Dick and Jane books. Does anyone remember those?
I also included a headline from a fake newspaper about the oddity. Do you know I had a hard time ripping it into a little snippet after spending time to make it look real?
I think my favorite section of the whole piece was this part with books. I had such fun coming up with the titles. The blue one references that wonderful quote, “Flying is the second greatest thrill to man. Landing is the first!”
Here’s the little flying piggy all by himself.
It’s mind-boggling for me to realize I made this nine years ago. It seems like only yesterday. Wow! I guess it’s not only pigs that fly, eh?
How precious is that piggy in a box. You went to such detail, I love your books and the torn paper heading. I wonder where he went?
ReplyDeleteLove it Ginger.
Hugs
Hi Kays Kids,
DeleteThat is a good question! Where does a pig choose to go if he can fly? Very though provoking! :D
Thank you!
~ginger
WOW! that is an amazing piece of art. Such attention to detail, I love it.
ReplyDeleteI have admired your artistic ability with your bears, but this is ...WOW!.
thanks for showing it to us.
Thank you so much Ladytats! While the details can drive me crazy it's also the most fun and the most challenging parts of these pieces!
DeleteThanks again!
~ginger
Time really flies!... That is a great job you did !:)The very dream pig-idea is just awesome^) Thank you for the post:)
ReplyDeleteHi Gingerale,
DeleteYou got it! My my how time flies! Thanks for your comment. I like the storybook bit too.
Thank you!
~ginger
Fantastic....BELLISSINO !!!!
ReplyDeleteRosaRita
Hi RosaRita,
DeleteThank you so much! A compliment in a different language puts a bit smile on my face. How nice!
Thank you,
~ginger
So so so cute! lovely work!
ReplyDeleteMagda
Hi Magda,
DeleteThank you very much! I appreciate your comment!
~ginger
Wonderful, I love your work. And your artistic eye to detail. Piggy is just as cute as can be.
ReplyDeleteHugs to Sebastian, wherever he is.
♥
Hi The Bear's Blog,
DeleteYou're very kind. Thank you. The details sometimes fall into place and then I look back and go how did I come up with that?! Loads of fun!
~ginger
FLYING!!!!!! :D :D
ReplyDeleteHi Snap!
DeleteWouldn't that be cool?! Flap your wings and take off?
Thank you for reading!
~ginger
I love this piggy :0)
ReplyDeleteHi Elanor,
DeleteI think it might be time to revisit the piggy pattern. Sometimes a rest is a good thing and makes the return sweeter!
Thanks for reading my friend!
~ginger
Ginger, this flying pig & box are wonderful. Such detail. I love the whole thing!
ReplyDeleteHi Maddyrose,
DeleteThank you! I still find it amazing that I made this so long ago and I still remember laboring over how to make it - the order, the details. I think my brain got tired! In the end, it was the beginning of a whole new series!
:D
~ginger
OMG, you made LT squeal, please don't do that again, it hurt our ears... We think that means she really liked all the wee details, but we really love the pig, where does he live now?
ReplyDeleteHugs
Jack and The Clan
Hello Jack and The Clan,
DeleteOh dear! Shall I send some earplugs? How many little ears need them?
Please tell Miss Katy thank you for me.
Ah the current location of this pig eludes me. It was adopted by a fellow bear artist who had a thing about flying pigs. I cannot remember who though.
Thanks!
~ginger
Oh Ginger, How I love this pig. But I would never have him in my house. He would ruin everything! When pigs fly!, is one of my favorite phrases. I usually say it under my breath when my dear husband promises he will get to a chore. He has had some of the same chores now since 2008 and I don't see any sign of any of them getting done. So when he promises he will do something instead of going to do it, my response is usually.....When pigs fly!
ReplyDeleteHi Terri Sue,
DeleteIt could be a flying pig would help? Maybe if you had a flying pig all the things you claimed would happen when pigs fly would. You could say "my my the flying pig arrived today - guess that means that shelf will get put up now and the garden weeded and so on..."
One can dream - that's where the pigs come in! :D
Thanks for reading!
~ginger
Wow. A flying pig. He is so adorable. Who would have thought that a pig can fly? Great idea.
ReplyDeleteToday's the first chance I've had to catch up on blog reading (time flies even faster than pigs in Oz), so I'm a late commenter, Ginger, but loved your post. I can't believe you had the patience to create your pig in a box with such detail - it's great!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Kayzy
Hi Kayzy,
DeleteI'm so glad you liked it. I'm not sure about patience though - sometimes I wonder. Maybe it's more like craziness! Thank you so much!
~ginger