Meet Simon
How one wine bottle, a piece of rusted metal, and a generous friend helped begin it all
Last summer, I went to a community garden event. A special speaker was planned, and it was going to give me a chance to meet members of a gardening club that my good friends Elly and Simon belong to.
At the last minute, a family emergency forced the speaker to cancel. After spending a little time at the garden, Elly and Simon invited a few of us back to their house.
It was one of those perfect summer evenings. We sat in Muskoka chairs in their beautiful garden, relaxed and talking, sipping sangria that Simon had made with the wonderful addition of fresh local cherries.
For a couple of weeks before that night, I had an idea in my head for a new art piece. I wanted to make a fish out of a wine bottle and metal. Rusted metal, specifically. And Nespresso capsules, of course.
With that idea in mind, I asked Simon if I could keep the wine bottle from the sangria. That’s how the body of the fish named Simon was born.
It’s also how my entire art installation, Thirsty for Connection, was born. Though, I had no idea at the time that I was beginning a series.
Where It Really Began
Around that same time, the windshield of my car needed to be replaced. I dropped the car off, thinking I’d wait for it, but they ended up needing it for hours. I sent a text to Elly and Simon to see if I could pop over for a visit. I started walking toward their house while I waited for a reply.
It was very early in the morning, and when I hadn’t heard back, I decided to walk to Home Hardware instead rather than risk waking them. I knew I wanted some metal for the tail of this wine bottle fish I had imagined. I had already done some research on how to corrode new metal to get the rusted finish I was after.
Right There at My Feet
As I was walking toward the store, you’ll never believe what I found.
A piece of scrap metal, fully covered in rust, in exactly the shape and size I needed. Right there, at my feet.
That’s how the tail of the fish named Simon was born.
I picked it up and kept walking. Not long after, Simon called to say, “Come on over.” With the new fish tail in hand, I turned around, grateful for the synchronicity all around me and still in a bit of disbelief.
About Simon
Let me tell you about the man named Simon so that you will better understand how the fish named Simon came to be.
When I needed to take down my Brewed for Joy installation, which consisted of almost 400 ornaments that had to be removed and carefully packaged, Simon was there to help.
When I needed someone to pick up the too-long-for-my-car tree stakes for my backyard labyrinth installation, Simon was there.
When I needed to cart soil home from the nursery but my car was already full of plants, Simon was there.
When I discovered Nespresso capsules as a new art medium, Simon was there to encourage and inspire me with a book that compiled artists’ work using upcycled materials.
And when it was gift-giving season at Christmas, it was Simon who found the absolute perfect gift for me. A book on the spirituality of labyrinths and mazes.
Last week, I hosted a Valentine’s Day dinner party. There were six of us adults and Simon was one of them. I thought it would be fun to resurrect the Valentine’s card exchange we all grew up with as kids. Especially since Simon was a kindergarten teacher, it felt like something we could all tap into together.
I bought a bunch of children’s Valentine’s cards and handed out the blank cards and colourful markers. I asked each friend to write one thing they appreciated about each person and give them a card.
The one I chose for Simon read: “I need s’more friends like you.”
It’s true.
But really, doesn’t the whole world need more friends like Simon? I think so. Those people who are a rock of support, while also having the tenderness to encourage and inspire.
About The Fish Named Simon
The colour palette formed naturally from the rusted tail, the bottle, and the capsules. They carry my warm feelings that was the catalyst for this fish, and where this whole installation began.
The rusted metal tail is the piece I found on the road that morning. That moment when all the stars were aligning to have me create this fish.
I’ve added a few simple shapes and colours so many of us first learned to recognize in those early classrooms. The three primary colours of blue, red and yellow makes up the fish’s eye while a circle, a square, and a triangle is on the top fin. These touches are to acknowledge and appreciate Simon’s years as an awarded kindergarten teacher and to the early learning he gave so many lucky children.
Not only do I think the whole world needs more friends like Simon, I think the whole world needs more teachers like him, too. Rock solid dependability and a tender heart.
To see the other ways I have turned friends into fish for my Thirsty for Connection art installation, read these stories:
You continually blow my mind! ❤️
Simon the fish is just gorgeous. Simon the friend sounds like a wonderful human being and a good friend