Confessions of this shopaholic.....

Masai mother & children

I believe in kismet, fortune, and happenstance....yes I believe in serendipity. I believe in providence, and I do believe in destiny. No matter what you call it, good fortune is by any other name good fortune. Yes I believe in her because no matter what, at some point in your life, your journey Lady Luck must cast her dazzling smile upon you.  And it is the efficacy of this ethereal but undesputably present force that propels me to many of my happiest moments. I imagine most people must feel as I do whenever their gaze happens upon a favourite purchase gotten at no great cost but meaning the world. I certainly get ridiculously excited every-time I get something I need at great prices. Important note! definition of need is anything I find attractive or beautiful, it is never a want. This is my confession. Now with that out of the way...lets move on to more interesting things.

Signature Booty

Throughout my blog you'll find me going gaga over artists and so be prepared, this is more obsession. Last Friday while merrily making my way, minding my own business, scavenging for breakfast to have at leisure in the company of my latest read....I was compelled to once again part with a few more rands in exchange for statues I suspect to be of Masai women. I got two of them, a woman with children and another getting water from a river. What really pleased me about these two pieces is the amount of detail that went into making them. Unfortunately this likeness in this post does not do them any justice. On the statues what should be beads is beads, earings are round wire which moves delicately as would normal dangling earings, the figures are carved out of stone but the hessien shawls have all the intricate weaings that real hessian would have, the boys rod is a piece of wheat chaff and the mama has her African heritage intact, the signature African buttock is in prominent display as thin as she is. It is a magnificent piece of work.

Pablo

As is Pablo, my horse. So called because I imagine that Pablo Neruda the poet must have been sitting astride such a magnificent beast while consumed with thoughts of his queen. And perhaps later he would have settled under a Chilean Fire Bush tree to put pen to paper and write a poem for her, with his horse grazing nearby secured to a branch with the reigns.

Getting back to my Pablo, I got him at a little home industry store as well (the same as the women) and he was also as dusty, having sat there week upon week, month upon month _ waiting for me to find my way to them. Of this I am as confident as I am of the knowledge that the sun will rise tomorrow. See what I mean about lady luck? I am so please to know that I own a part of somebody whom being a slave to his or her talents,lovingly crafted Pablo into being. The most pleasant surprise for me was in realising when I touched him, that Pablo was covered entirely in fine leather and even having a proper saddle with bronze stirrups. I had anticipated he'd be made of wood but alas. He is quite light but very sturdy so I am curious about his inner make-up even though there is no way  would pry his skin loose to see what's underneath on account of risking permanent damage. I wish I knew who made him but shop keepers are so secretive of their suppliers and with good reason I suppose.  Pablo is worth every bit of the the 500quid - SA rand  ($72)  I paid for him. I would have thrown in a couple more to own him.

My restaurant scene

Karoo in South Africa (see Proteas?)

As time goes I've come to realise that I don't have to be deprived of owning beautiful things just because I don't have the kind of money that would allow me to spend without worrying about tomorrow. Being creative with the way I shop pays off quite well. So this is what I do, for example when looking for paintings (by the way I love the Old Masters), instead of buying from art galleries, I go to framing shops. I find them a great deal more affordable and they can source things for you if you tell them your preference or give illustrations. Admittedly I can't afford a Rembrandt or Van Gogh or any of the others I salivate over but there are some incredible artists who are masters in their own right today and I believe they are just as valuable, give or take a few million yes. But what's monetary value when you're buying for love right (I know, perhaps the artist sees it differently). Last December, for my own birthday I bought these two paintings for R2900 ($416). All we know about the landscape one is that it was painted about 15 years ago and its of the Karoo. The other is a very popular scene that I'm sure you're familiar with but I love it nonetheless. I fall in love every time I catch a glimpse of it.


Of course, having bought the women the Friday,  the weekend happened. And there was more buying but this time I am exceedingly proud of myself. Again I was minding my own business as is my habit, headed for the drug-store on Saturday afternoon when lo' and behold, I find myself in a 2nd hand furniture store. I kind of had the idea that I was window shopping for an antique kist (I can't recall the other name now but those things like trunks with legs). Something that some put at the bottom of the bed for storage, and back in the day it used to be in ball and claw a lot and was used store all sorts of treasures, Christianing gowns, underwear you would wear on your death bed - i think-, etc.  Anyway by the time I walked out I had two original water colors dated 1977 & 78 by an M. Thomas. They are looking for a new home now, as soon as I got home I stripped them out of their 37 year old abode. I have an agreement with the shop owner that should they be worth anything he gets 10% .....tongue in cheek agreement, I got them at a R100 ( $14) a piece, i'm over the moon. As soon as a new home is found for my beauties, I shall post without delay.