Firehose
Ever since 2015, new ideas have been popping into my head at a constant pace. Often I am inspired by other creatives in the process. This process is on-going; it is never off. For example, I liked to work with the material of fire hoses someday, just out of curiosity. It’s something different and I like variety. So when I was able to pick up a real fire hose nearby, I immediately contacted the lady who offered it to me.
On a summer Friday afternoon, I rang the doorbell of a very cute little house in the northern part of town. The owner was cleaning up in preparation for an impending move. In the process one of the things that had surfaced was a firehose. It turned out to be from her brother who – as a firefighter – died “in the line of duty”. Wow … what a intense story; I didn’t see that one coming. But I was grateful that she trusted me enough to share it with me.
Things full of memories
It had been several years now and the lady was ready to let go of some of the things she had kept as memories of her brother. But her emotions were still palpable. When I asked her if I could make something for her from the materials as a keepsake, she indicated she didn’t want me to. It was all right. I promised to make something beautiful out of them anyway when the time was right – creatively speaking. She asked me to send a photo of it when the time came.
In the fall, I made some belts from the fire hose and they turned out as I had intended. Super cool, tough, sturdy and with a nice bright color. When I sent the lady a photo of these, she was moved. She was happy that I had thought of her request. A few days later she commissioned me to make two fire hose belts, one for herself and one for her daughter. In memory of her brother.