Now Don't Tell Me....I've Nothin' To Do...

Check out the very "Dorothy Draper" front door!

We've had some pretty rotten weather around here lately, the kind that keeps you inside for several days. I remember when I was a child and we would have a "no school" day due to snow. There were no computers, video games, or movies to rent. We would have to get creative and entertain ourselves. I loved Captain Kangaroo. Maybe he would read "Stone Soup" today, or settle a dispute between Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Greenjeans, or hopefully, tell us to go grab our art supplies because were going to make something! I would rush to get my scissors, tape, maybe an old shoe box, and of course, my 64 Crayola crayons, and wait with pure joy for the Captain to tell us what we were going to do.

It is with these memories that I finally started to tackle a project that I had been putting off until I had the proper time to devote to it. I purchased a book from a friend who had received it from an estate sale auctioneer. It is full of the most gorgeous engravings you have ever seen. However, since it is written in German, I had no idea what the book was about. I spent the last snow bound weekend researching and scanning my acquisition.





"Physiognomy Fragments" by Johann Kaspar Lavater was published in 1784




Lavater, a Swiss pastor,was devoted to the study and promotion of the ideas of physiognomy. This is the assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face. The book and movement were very popular, due, in part, to the fact that his descriptions were often good humored satire on well known characters.







His book became so popular, that it was translated into French and then English. Many authors of the day, including Dickens, Hardy, Bronte, and later, Oscar Wilde, used Lavater's theories when writing descriptions of their characters.



Johann Kaspar Lavater



Over time, I will be matting, framing, and selling some of the original etchings out of the book. I am also scanning and printing copies of a few for my stall at Barrett Street.

A Gift For You:






























I have scanned, cropped, and cleaned up these images for you to grab, print, or do what you will with them. I made mine 5" x 7" images on ecru colored paper. You do not have to buy the expensive kind. A store like Michaels, or many office supply stores, have paper that will do.

Most sheets are under a dollar.




Send me a picture of your creation [ HerRetreat@aol.com ] and I'll share it in a later post.

Now go get your art supplies!

Have fun, and enjoy YOUR weekend !