A house full of stuff is not just about my reluctance to spend my time cleaning and clearing. It is about letting go of attachments. This doll and cradle are a perfect example. The cradle was made with hand tools by my great grandfather for my mother as a birthday gift when she was a little girl. My mother is now 72 years old. My grandmother gave me the cradle when I was young to “take care of.”

today’s sketch 11″x14″ artist colour pencils “Doll and Cradle”

I wasn’t a doll girl so didn’t have a doll to put in the cradle until I received a Katie, with her gorgeous ceramic hand-painted face and beanbag weighted body. She feels real when you pick her up.

I was 35 years old when Katie came into my life. I had wanted another baby but that was neither possible nor practical. My partner at the time presented me with Katie. A large, rough and burly logger, he had gone to a doll show and had a couple of elderly women help him pick out Katie and choose a set of cloths for her.

The doll and cradle has always had room my home because of these attachments. Someday I may need to find a new home for them – but not today.

Sprout Question: How does attachment influence your creativity? (your home, your subject choice)

p.s. I have lots of children in my life. I have two birth children and six step-children plus two grandchildren. The burly logger is now working in the oil fields and is a life-long friend from my childhood.

© 2010 Terrill Welch, All rights reserved.

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Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.