Emo the gnome hangs out near a small pump house at my aunt's house in the N.C. mountains.
He's roundish and unthreatening and, of course, dressed in blue and bluish-lavender, with accents of green frogs and a tiny hint of butterfly brightness.
He's an emotional image on three levels: viscerally, and those other two. Viscerally, his face peers up from a non-threatening size and level. Round cheeks and nose are reminiscent of baby faces, despite the beard. Mid-level, his presence makes me want to decorate his house with small plants. It should be presentable for any young people who happen by.
On that higher level, I'm reminded of fairy tales and fantasy, and good magic. And closeness to the earth and its creatures.
He's almost too cute, for those old enough to remember the ubiquitous gnome images from the late 1970s-early 1980s.
That almost-too-cuteness makes me consider borrowing him from his usual spot and taking him on a road trip, seeking incongruous surroundings to make him less cute, more ironic. Already been done, I know. But worth considering. Maybe he needs a Facebook page instead. Who wouldn't be his friend?
3 comments:
Andria,
Totally awesome blog!
Hey, is this gnome hanging out in Land Harbor, Linville, NC... by any chance?
Just curious since you said the mountains and this little cutie looks familiar.
:-)
A-M
He's further south, almost South Carolina, the "Dark Corner" of Carolina history. His house is a pump house, painted with windows and window boxes. Quite charming when my daughter visited up there when she was younger. He doesn't get lots of attention these days, but we'll fix that when the weather's warmer.
And now off to Chapel Hill, with people and without computer. If I get iced in, gee, I won't be able to come back to Charlotte and work.
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