This past weekend I had the pleasure of 'picking' from an artist's dream of a yard sale.
Mildred Johnson, an incredible assemblage artist, is retireing at the age of 82 & has been collecting, building, and producing all of her life.
“I honestly can’t remember a time when I wasn’t making art. As a kid I used to find scraps of wood and other junk and make my own toys, so my interest in building has been with me for a long time. I guess I’ve never really grown up – I’m still playing with found materials – and I still feel the excitement of discovery that I remember as a child.” - Mildred Johnson
Her studio(s), located in the Fort Ando's Mill in Brunswick Maine, opened their doors to starry eyed artists & collectors alike as a 'Not your everyday yard sale.' For me unfortunately, it was a perfect example of early bird gets the worm, I arrived two hours after first start, but I was still able to pick up some great papers - art supplies & a few beautiful, rusty, treasure relics.
I am especially excited about this BEAUTIFUL, organic, dried seaweed type, piece I found. I'm feeling particularly inspired to make a special painting just to showcase it, I can already envision it & can't wait to work on it. Score.
It is a bit sad, that that treasure trove of an artist studio is closed. Though I am confident that art making runs deep in Mildred Johnson & neither age nor retirement will stop her from seeing art in everyday objects. She certainly has left a legacy of work behind that people will be able to enjoy for years to come. Really very beautiful.