Monday, December 11, 2006

Glass Insulator


oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

I borrowed this insulator from Jeff Cohen a long time ago to paint, but it just sat on a small shelf in our kitchen. I saw the sunlight shining through it the other day, and thought to myself, "man, I've got to paint that thing right now".


8 comments:

Johnnie Scoutten said...

Wonderful.

So if I may share, that when son was 5 I had pointed to those insulators on the telephone poles and mentioned 'transformers', all in passing coversation.

Next time he saw one, he pointed and said, "Mom, see the aliens, aliens." Took a while to figure out the 'transformers' connection.

Insulators always bring back the memory.

James Neil Hollingsworth said...

That's a great story Johnnie.

James said...

I had picked up a couple of those insulators when I was a kid. They just look like art. Nice job on a subject that we don't see around much anymore.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes people overlook how truly beautiful a simple object can be. Your mastery of color, reflection, & shadow transcend the ordinary. I think everyone in Wyoming still has a few of these on their windowsill or in their garage.

Anonymous said...

Back about 5 years ago, I bought a case of about 100 of these in all sorts of colors and sizes from the Lakewood Antiques Market ( now defunct...),and intended to paint them one day.

Whats funny is I was always drawn to the blue beaded ones like the one you painted. I look forward to your show.

Absolutely Fantastic!

Michael Coy said...

Beautifully done. I've appreciated all of the work you've posted on this blog.

Unknown said...

James, this one is really very nice. There is a rail trail near my home where there are hundreds of these insulators up on the poles. My daughter and I were just talking about going on a quest for one out on the trail.

Max said...

There is a National Insulator Association online (www.nia.org), where you can get a world of information on these old collectibles. I have about 130 in my collection. They make great door stops and candle holders. Just about every Grand-parent has one or two in the garage.