Mary’s tackle box

My dad has a storage area outside by the trash cans.  A bank of cupboards that house ancient cans of house paint, a decrepit old ladder, and old gardening tools that haven’t been used in decades.

There’s a lot of rat poop in there too so no one wants to take on the job of cleaning it out.  My youngest, Evan, is a bit braver and a lot more curious and he started poking around this weekend and tucked way in the back he spied an old, painted tackle box.

 

It was covered in grime so he carefully cleaned it off and when he opened it up instead of ancient tools or fishing gear, like he was expecting, it was filled with art supplies.

Art supplies that are in relatively good shape considering they’ve been tucked into an old cupboard for probably 25 years.

To give an idea how old the supplies are one of the tubes of oil paints had a price tag on it for $1.30.  Just looking at comparable tubes now – they cost anywhere from $11 to $25 for the same color, same size tube.

 

The tackle box is what my artistically inclined sister Mary used to lug around with her paint smeared and ink stained hands.   She is the only sister with any artistic talent.  Oh the others are creative and very talented with their chosen mediums (fabric) but Mary was the only one that could actually draw and paint.  Her ink drawings still hang at my Dad’s house.

When I was little I was always really intrigued by Mary’s art supplies.  Probably because there were dire warnings if I was ever to even think of touching any it.  When I was about four I did get into them and decided that the doorknobs and plumbing fixtures in the hall bathroom would be much enhanced if I painted them all cadmium yellow.   I think I’m still grounded for that budding creative expression.

What is remarkable about this find is that my mother was not sentimental about hanging on to our childhood things.  That she tucked this box into a cupboard is testament to Mary’s artistic talent.  I’m sure she figured Mary would be needing it again.