Saturday, December 4, 2010

True colors of my hometown

The photos in my latest posting about the reptile quilt were a little too strong, too red. The quilt isn't quite so, but good photo light is rare these days. I dedicate the choice of colors to my hometown. Copper-covered roofs are common on larger buildings, and the climate with grey skies contributes to the magic effect of this color. Brick red is the other prevailing color because clay is a traditional material which was a lot easier to find in this landscape than stone -- exept diluvial granite rocks.

Here is St. Katharinen church near the harbour.
Another material found quite often is a sandstone or lime stone in a subdued yellow.
Somehow I feel at home in these colors, although I never thought they would be favourites of mine.
Why do I find them related to snakes? There is a snake called copper snake or slowworm. And maybe it is because of a bronze sculpture in our local zoo. It shows two snakes that got entangled so heavily with each other that both died. A sign of bad surveilance of animals which would probably not happen today. I used to stare at it when I was a child, oscillating between horror and enthusiasm, stroking the metal bodies.
Could my hometown be a naga place?
If these are the local spirits, they are said to provide wealth, but also to be moody.
I will not test their mood by incorporating real snake skin, although there is a little piece resting in my drawer. But something tells me not to. Did I see a twinkle?

4 comments:

Jacky said...

I love the colour of the weathered copper...you live in a very beautiful city. Thanks for sharing the photos.

Jacky xox

Yael said...

Eva-Maria - those first two photos - if I squeeze my eyes they get intermingled - the colors are just the same - wow!
And the squares - they gloom, they shine, they sparkle - I love them so much! You are so good at mixing color and texture - and all those lovely stitches - hand stitched of course - add so much character to your pieces!
It is such a pleasure to zoom in - into your work and your world!
Schoenen zweiten Adventssonntag morgen!

nandas said...

eva..its nice to see a picture of where you are... i spent quite awhile last evening reading your mother's reminisces. i was quite touched. such a difficult time. i wish we as a world could learn from these experiences and never have these awful things happen again. and yet we don't . its so important to tell our stories. if we keep telling maybe someday....

Diane Cransac said...

What an interesting story about the snakes. I think we all have a connection with certain colors because of where we grew up, I know that there will always be something about the color of the old red barns against the corn and wheat fields back home. It stirs a longing in me that is hard to explain since I really hate the place I grew up. I think it is deeper than we realize at times. The work you have been doing lately is lovely. Very earthy and almost primal. I love it!