THE TEAPOT








When I was a child, my favorite ritual was the afternoon tea party with my mother; she would heat the kettle, and set out her favorite teapot, teacups, china, and cookies.  I vividly remember the sun beaming in the kitchen window, tracing the elegant gold plated swirls on the glossy black teapot while steam floated lazily from the spout.  Though slightly faded, the teapot still glows beautifully, the glaze burnished butter smooth by use, love , and appreciative hands.  And, when I hold it, the porcelain still warms touch - as if filled with hot tea.  I can almost smell the rich aroma of Red Rose Tea...


copyright © Lori Motokado all rights reserved

watercolour
12" x 8" image size
$575 framed

Built for Speed








One Christmas, my cousin and I each received a pair of roller skates.  They were beautiful with smooth magenta wheels, a thick leather ankle strap, and a key to ensure a perfect fit as our feet grew.  We practiced diligently on the basement floor, spinning, falling, and giggling all the while.  Later, we graduated to menacing the sidewalks.  Who wanted to walk when they could roll.  I don't think they sell these adjustable skates anymore.  But wait, they can be adjusted to fit...and i still have the key...

Hierloom Recipes









Almost every family has a secret recipe or recipe collection.  No one came to a gathering without bringing their 'best dish' to share.  My mother's recipe collection was collected over her entire lifetime.  For her, a call to dinner was a call to arms.  Out came the Five Roses Flour cookbooks, her recipe binder, her glass stacking mixing bowls and her Sunbeam Mixer.  Prized recipes, like the baking itself, were shared with love and passed on to others.

The  Button Box
A few years ago my aunt and uncle packed up their apartment, and downsized in preparation for their move to a retirement home.  In their 'donation' pile I found this small maple box.  To my great delight, when I opened the lid, shiny brightly coloured buttons spilled out like precious jewels.  When sweaters, or jackets lost a button, one did not discard the garment, rather one could always find a replacement in the 'collection'.  Similarly, if an article of clothing was beyond repair, one could always save the buttons for reuse.  I could not resist and brought that small box and button collection home.  Maybe I will find a button for that shirt...
watercolour
11 3/4 x 16 1/4 image size
$650
watercolour
12 3/8 x 15 image size
$650
watercolour
14 3/4 x 11 3/4 image size
$650
Take Me Out......









These gloves are 30-40 years old.  Scarred and battered, the leather is supple and well worn.  I remember the effort it took to break it in, constantly kneading the leather and diligently tossing the ball with my dad every evening after dinner.  It takes several seasons to break a stiff new glove in.  And when it was finally broken in, like my friends, I carried it everywhere, and regretfully only put it down when at bat.  The pocket is still perfectly shaped and can snugly pluck a ball from the sky.  These gloves are still ready for a ballgame.  If I close my eyes I can still feel the sun, and smell the grass of the open field...

watercolour
10 3/8 x 11 7/8 image size
$675
A  Stitch in Time









This sewing machine is as beautiful as it is functional.  With an elegantly curved ebony cast iron body scribed with gold and decorated with a silvery embossed plate, it still sews a steady stitch.  All the parts, including the tube light work as smoothly as they day it came off the production floor some 70 years ago.  Machines like this clothed many generations of families and repaired many a torn seam.  It was built with pride and craftsmanship; it was built to last forever.
watercolour
11 3/4 x 13 3/4 image size
$670
Old  Detroit




more to come...