Stairway to Heaven

This weekend, I got tired of seeing my three newly framed pieces sitting in the chair.

New frames lounging.

So, I gathered up all of pieces I had and I put them on the wall.

Well, first I had to attend to the three pieces that had been laced but not actually put in their frames. I got out my point driver and drove them into the frames but good. Then I applied the backing paper and hanging wires.

Just in case you've never seen backing paper and hanging wire.

Then, I started hanging. After I had hung about four pictures, I thought it might be a good idea to put them on the wall in a less permanent way in case I was screwing up. So I cut out kraft paper squares to match the picture sizes. Then I put the stand-ins on the wall with repositionable scrapbook adhesive and played with the layout for a while. I might be a slow learner, but at least I get there in the end.

New gallery

I have been basking in reflected glory...or something like that. I feel quite accomplished. Not that I was any less accomplished when they weren't hanging on the wall. But the pictures sort of remind me (almost constantly) that they exist.

Looking up as you enter the house.

Top down.

It reminds me of when I was writing my dissertation. I had been in the program so long I was growing moldy. But then I started keeping track of how I was doing--how many chapters complete and approved, how many pages in progress. Every time I started writing, I would open that document first as a little reminder. Suddenly, instead of lamenting how long I had been working on the project and how much was left to do, I had some kind of grip on reality. I was, say, 2/3 of the way through chapter four and had outlined chapter one while chapters two, three, and five were done and dusted. (Chapters 2, 3, and 5 really were done first. Chapter 1 was dead last.) I could see the light at the end of the tunnel--and it was rapidly moving closer.

Suddenly, all I want to do is stitch--I haven't been stitching so much you might have noticed. I want more things on that wall. And I think a few of them should be a bit bigger. I feel so focused! Let this be a lesson to me.

Anna's Bird was really the inspiration to all this. One of the places the dude and I discussed hanging her was right where she is now. Because she leads you into the dining room.

Anna's Bird, leading you into the dining room.