“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(See page 279 for a copy of the object. As usual I placed it between two pieces of cardboard, then sealed it in two envelopes. Jane’s eyes remained closed as she gave the data. The object is a strip from a piece of linen canvas which I bought a few weeks ago at the Art Shop, in Elmira. Details on this will be given as the data is interpreted. Seth doesn’t discuss the data, and we made our own connections.

(“Sturdy.” Yes. The linen artist’s canvas is very strong and sturdy, the best kind to use for paintings, and I bought it with this purpose in mind.

(“Stubble, or stumble.” Here we think Jane was trying to get across the idea of stubble meaning texture, which the canvas of course possesses. This woven texture was another reason for my buying canvas, rather than smooth boards for instance, such as Masonite.

(“Small squares, perhaps three of these.” Upon examination it can be seen that the linen canvas used as object is made up of small squares of thread, especially when it is held up to the light. I believe the three data following are also related here.

(“And a connection with, I believe, the same number of large colored squares or rectangles. Rather brilliant. The color red among others, and yellow.” It seems here that Jane referred to the purpose for which I bought the canvas—to paint on. Some of my recent work has been in the abstract vein, also, and incorporates squares, angles, etc., some of them in brilliant primary colors. Actually I have not painted any pictures on the specific batch of linen which furnished tonight’s envelope object; but I have painted on other canvas of a comparable texture, etc., and which was prepared in the same manner. Association thus could be at work. There could be other connections also.

(“Connection with an old car.” Jane feels this refers to a young man, Tom, who works at the Art Shop where I bought the canvas which furnished the object. Jane often runs errands there for me, and Tom, a framemaker, often waits on her. Tom has an old sports car, and not long after I had bought the canvas, he described the car to Jane on one of her visits there, detailing his troubles with it, etc.

(“A miscellaneous list or group of names or designations. A string of numbers.” These can quite possibly refer to the pencil lists I am in the habit of making up, of materials I need at the Art Shop. I have the habit of making these lists for Jane especially with prices included. I almost always have a list when I go to the Art Shop, and so does Jane. I do not recall whether I had such a list on the day I bought the canvas which furnished tonight’s object, but the chances are that I did have. Very seldom do I make a trip there for just one object.

(“Something picked at random, as from a grab bag, you see.” This could refer to the way I picked the canvas which furnished the object. On that particular visit to the Art Shop I wasn’t looking for linen canvas, never having bought any there; indeed, thinking the shop didn’t stock it to begin with. I had bought other items, and was on my way out when I saw a piece of canvas tucked in a corner, quite wrinkled and obviously a remnant.

(I pulled it out to view. It was a piece two yards long, and the proprietor of the Art Shop sold it to me for half price; it was just what I had in mind for an experiment, as will be seen. I was very pleasantly surprised to find this canvas there, for I had thought I would have to order it from New York City.

(“Connection with a fabric that somehow seems glued on. Something glued on something, perhaps paper.” This is excellent data, and very close indeed to the object. The object is trimmed from the linen canvas I bought at the Art Shop, and this piece of canvas was glued on to large sheets of Masonite so as to have a firm support—the experiment I had in mind which was referred to later.

(Jane thinks the paper reference here could refer to the object being sandwiched between the two pieces of cardboard, or Bristol, inside the double envelope; for when she opened the envelopes she at first thought the canvas was glued to one of the pieces of Bristol—probably because she had seen me working out the gluing problem in the studio in recent weeks. My experiment proved to be quite a task, but was successfully accomplished, with the use of polymer waterproof glue.

(The tack holes running along one edge of the object resulted from the canvas first being tacked to a sheet of board, then wet so that pre-shrinking would take place before the gluing process.

(“A design on rectangle.” The object is rectangular; it bears no design, but being canvas is meant to ultimately. A larger interpretation would be that I applied the linen canvas to large rectangular pieces of Masonite, with the idea of painting on these. I made no square panels for instance, not caring for this proportion.

(“Your initials connected here.” I was the one who personally bought the linen canvas that furnished the object, cut the canvas up, etc.

(Question: The only one would be to name the object as best you can. “Rectangular, having it seems some connection with metal or an automobile. Some dates and numbers, like an application.” Again, apparently a reference to Tom and his car; and through this to the Art Shop, the linen canvas, etc.

(“With holes in it, or torn.” Now Seth gets more specific, and again this is excellent data. See page 281 for a copy of the object. Note that the top edge is frayed, appearing to be torn; actually this results from an unraveling after cutting. The cutting took place before the preshrinking. Again, note the holes spaced along the top edge of the object. These are tack holes spaced rather close together around each piece of canvas, because the linen exerts a strong pull when wet; it had to be securely fastened to the Masonite panels, until dry.

(“Something on both sides," Is this a reference to the texture of the canvas showing on both sides of the object?