When I read Tollipop's invitation to make one hundred somethings, I knew that I wanted to be a part of this, too. Kirsten (at Tollipop) is creating one hundred dresses, or perhaps I should say one hundred ladies in dresses. Ladies with stories! Each lady and each story is a Victorian jewel. But I particularly love Kirsten's whole brilliant idea about her "hundred somethings" project. I think what she is saying is that if we were all busy creating one hundred things, we would all be happier and the whole world would be a better, happier, more creative, more loving place. But she says it so much better here and here and here.
At first I thought I could make a hundred greeting cards, and from that thought I leaped to my guardian greeting cards. I love the whole idea of guardians. I don't think we can ever have enough of them, whether they be guardian angels, or guardian hawks, or guardian wolves.
Here is a German Schutzengel watching over two children in a painting by Fridolin Leiber (1853-1912). Angels, of course, have wings and can swoop down out of nowhere and rescue us from whatever dangers, or naughtiness, we have gotten ourselves into. But there are other kinds of guardians, and a number of years ago when I threw out my net to capture a guardian or two, I found them everywhere, both near at hand and far afield, too.
Isn't Peter Rabbit's mother the quintessential guardian of all? This is one of the images I had in mind when I invoked the babushka for my first guardian. I love all the endearing details in Beatrix Potter's timeless illustration: the mother's apron, the way she bends over the cozy little bed, not to mention those sweet little ears and paws!
The word babushka is Russian or Polish for both "grandmother" and "kerchief," and so I enlarged upon this and began to think of my guardian babushka as the great-great-grandmother and to adorn her with a kerchief. Oh, and an apron, too! I saw her, and see her now, as that eternal mother-figure who knows what to do when we are in need of whatever.
I originally created many babushkas in many color combinations. I used a very simple child-like figure for her body and then wrapped her round little head in a kerchief, added the apron, and a wand, and then a bag for all her secret remedies.
Hmmmmm. Maybe her bag contains a jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and a copy of Lolly Willowes, which is a remedy for a whole slew of things, come to think of it. Really, who knows what in the world might be in that bag!
I only have a handful of my original guardians left, and there are so many more I want to create: a guardian writer, artist, musician, robot, mouse, turtle, armchair, fir tree. I look around and guardians are simply everywhere.
And so, Tollipop, I very much want to join your Hundred Dresses and make a Hundred Guardians. Yes, I am definitely throwing my hat into your ring!
