The Same Canteen

"We Drank from the Same Canteen," an epitaph that could be inscribed across the headstones of veterans from any war, but seemed especially significant to Union veterans of the American Civil War. A poem written by Private Miles O'Reilly entitled "The Same Canteen" inspired the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) a fraternal order of Union veterans, to utilize the slogan in their encampments and activities following the war. A small commemorative pin was issued that featured sentiment, and can be found trading in today's collecting circles.

A Civil War history enthusiast myself, I have longed to have one of these fine pins, but could not bring myself to spend the amount of money these little jewels seem to command in the marketplace. The originals are on average about two and a half inches in diameter. My wife and I have a small art and pottery studio that we work in, and this summer, we were very fortunate to entertain a recent art student graduate from Tennessee Tech to come and work with us. I spoke with her about an idea for recreating one of these special canteens, and a collaboration began.

Although the old G.A.R. canteen pins were the inspiration, my thoughts were to create a double sided canteen that would commemorate the Civil War in a broader perspective. With this in mind I designed symbolic crossed flags of a nation divided, to be used on one side of the canteen, and on the opposite side, I wanted a symbol of which I perceived to be the indisputable outcome of this war with the inscription, "one nation-under god- indivisible."

Our artist in residence was an accomplished artisan by the name of Mallory Rose from Tullahoma, Tennessee. A graduate in 2012 from Tennessee Tech University, she masterfully created a fantastic commemorative work using the design.

 

 

Mallory hand built the canteen using speckled stoneware clay. It is 7x1/4" in diameter, 9" to the top of the drinking spout in height, not to include the stand, which is incorporated at the base. The artwork is inscribed free hand into a white under glaze and then color washed to bring forward the relief. The red and gray glazes were then added before firing. You will notice that on both faces of the canteen there are indentations as if the canteen were dented from use. The speckled clay when fired, gave the appearance of rust bleeding through the paint on an old canteen. Finishing touches applied to the canteen were a woven cotton strap made using an "inkle loom" by spinner weaver artist Annie MacHale of Soquel, California and a natural bark stopper from cork oak trees.

Annie's fabulous woven sashes and straps can be found at the following link: iWeaveSashes

The "Rose" canteen, as I have named this artwork in honor of Mallory, has become the pride of my patriotic collection.  The poem that inspired this fine piece of artwork on my behalf is as follows:

The Same Canteen

By Private Miles O'Reilly 

There are bonds of all sorts in this world of ours,
Fetters of friendship and ties of flowers,
    And true lover's knots, I ween;
The girl and the boy are bound by a kiss,
But there's never a bond, old friend, like this,
    We have drank from the same Canteen!
    
It was sometimes water, and sometimes milk,
And sometimes apple-jack "fine as silk;"
    But whatever the tipple has been
We shared it together in bane or bliss,
And I warm to you, friend, when I think of this,
    We drank from the same Canteen!
    
The rich and great sit down to dine,
They quaff to each other in sparkling wine,
    From glasses of crystal and green;
But I guess in their golden potations they miss
The warmth of regard to be found in this,
    We drank from the same Canteen!
    
We have shared our blankets and tents together,
And have marched and fought in all kinds of weather,
    And hungry and full we have been;
Had days of battle and days of rest,
But this memory I cling to and love the best,
    We drank from the same Canteen!
    
For when wounded I lay on the center slope,
With my blood flowing fast and so little hope
    Upon which my faint spirit could lean;
Oh! then I remember you crawled to my side,
And bleeding so fast it seemed both must have died,
    We drank from the same Canteen!

Hand-crafted and hand-painted signs are a specialty of ADT signs, a shop located in the Missouri, Ozarks. I came across two of his patriotic themed signs on eBay recently, both have "Uncle Sam" themes an iconic American symbol of patriotism. 

 

The owner and craftsman of these fine signs have a store on eBay, and describe his process and their location:

about ADT...
My shop is located in Walnut Shade, Missouri, which is just north of Branson. My shop was built to look like an old general store and sets next to my grandson's Dead End Saloon. You may have seen a few of my signs if you visited Silver Dollar City of The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead & Theatre in Branson during the past thirty years.

about Signs &
I do not mass produce any of my signs. They are not stenciled or screened. In fact, most of my signs are one-of-a-kind because I get bored if I make the same thing over and over. The lumber that I use depends mainly on what happens to be laying around in my shop when I get in the mood, but can range from new 5/8” to 7/8” thick new boards to discarded pallets, or even boards from ole Ozark barns. All of the signs that have an edging are glued and nailed.

To achieve the desired appearance, my signs go through a variety of treatments, which may include a few, or all,  of the following: Painting, staining, cuttings, scraping, sanding, setting outside during inclement weather, or even laying out in the barn lot with my four horses. The two final treatments that all of my signs go through are a final staining and a coat of polyurethane so that they will be protected if displayed outside.

You can find his shop at the following link:  ADT Signs

Well done and unique patriotic folk art is one of my current passions. Whether it was created yesterday or two centuries ago, the theme stirs the patriotic heart. I found this hooked rug image on the "Pinterest" web site under the pins saved by Steve and Becki Carpenter. The information provided along with the image, indicates that Steve designed the work, and his wife Becki, masterfully crafted a hooked rug to create this great piece of American Folk Art. The work is titled "The Pledge, and I believe the material used in the crafting is wool. Their personal profiles indicate the Carpenter's live in Kansas. Thank you Steve and Becki!

If you are interested in seeing more of Becki's great work, check out her Pinterest board at the following link: My Work and Collections

Old license plates are presented as patriotic folk art in the hands of folk artist Nicole Obrien. Patriotic themes are prominent among her many handmade creations, using old automotive license plates from all over the United States. 

Nicole's work can be found on the artisan website "Etsy", where she describes herself  as "a wife, a mom, and a collector of "JUNK"! Nothing gets my heart racing like a packed thrift store or junk yard!" She says that each of her signs are one of a kind, with no two ever be exactly the same. I would go ahead and suggest she add the words artist and patriot to her bio~

Nicole Obrien's Shop can be found by following this link.

Image surfing for patriotic seeds, when I found this great display of a vintage Uncle Sam costume posted for sale at "Art Antiques Michigan." Uncle Sam items are a favorite of mine, and the image just made my day!

The information listed the following on the website:

Uncle Sam Outfit, Patriotic Uncle Sam, Stars and Stripes, Americana

A nice vintage Uncle Sam outfit, costume, complete with tails and hat. Stars and Stripes reflect the American way. A great symbol of Americana. Great for the holidays Memorial Day, 4th. of July, Labor Day. The waist adjusts with a drawstring. The outfit is clean and in excellent condition. I would say the size would be a medium size.

The web site can be found at http://artantiquesmichigan.com.

Historically, the period between 1890 through 1920, may have been our most prolific era of patriotic imagery. Veterans of the great American Civil War, and those organizations supporting them were in a full-blown fervor to remember the momentous events and the sacrifices endured by so many during the conflict. As veterans groups sponsored reunions and encampments throughout the nation, the glory and melancholy of it all would show through in literature, music, and art. The G.A.R. or Grand Army of the Republic were unquestionably the most active of all the groups. Depicted are several examples of postcards depicting the patriotism and remembrance of this group of Union Veterans.

Patriotism on the farm!. Behold the red, white and blue.

America is gearing up for the big Olympic event in London this next week. On display for the world to see will be our own superhero athletes representing this great nation of ours. The world will be watching, as our men and women compete, cheer, and wave the stars and stripes in celebration of victories, we may be fortunate to achieve. So it goes for all nations, who will send their superheros to the world competition. Each nation's people will have a patriotic verve that seems to be only surpassed in times of conflict.

The world will be watching, and more importantly our children will have an opportunity to watch many of our nation's athletes become national heroes. I look forward to this opportunity of planting the seeds of American patriotism to people around the world, for reasons other than an armed conflict. It is my sincere hope the example our nation sets at this year's games, is a platform that inspires a patriotic nation of future superheros. 

Its all about growing the seeds of American patriotism. What better way to get those seeds off to a good start than surrounding them in good American soil contained in an Uncle Sam hat planter. 

It appears that when man first stepped upon the North American continent he was destined to come under the red-white-and blue spell of patriotism. An incredible find just recently discovered and put on display in Benoit, Wisconsin was a "Patriotic Theropod."

Yes, some of the first patriotic seeds of our great nation were spread thousands of years before man set forth upon our continent. Yet another great moment in our patriotic history.

Branding our nation's goods as Made in America, was once more than a mere tag on the back of a shirt, coat, hat, or food package. It was a statement of our national patriotism often incorporated into a brand or product through an emblem that was proudly displayed in packaging or in advertisement of goods. American companies were once proud to use our nation's patriotic symbols to market their products. Today we search for an obscure label, or tiny script on the container. The once proud symbols of American patriotism, that scattered seeds of America throughout our nation and the world, are all but relics in the marketplace today.

 "MADE IN AMERICA" - Patriotic seeds are meant to be planted in our own country first and foremost. But not everyone seems to get the message. Last evening, ABC evening news ran the story about the decision made by "American" fashion designer Ralph Lauren to provide the US Olympic team with opening ceremony attire entirely made in China.

No, there weren't any seeds of patriotism distributed for our depressed economy at home to grow on. I do appreciate that sponsors step up to help our athletes and in support of the games, but why not do it right and support the country too.

I have a question - when our athletes step forward to accept a medal ,and American flags are being waved and wrapped around a celebratory neck, who do we thank for providing these flags, China?

The US Olympic committee should be embarrassed, Ralph Lauren and his company should be ashamed.

WE CAN DO IT TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Image surfing this past week for historic graphics and photos with patriotic themes, and I came across this photo and story. I thought I would give it another posting with full credit to the author of the story and photographer from Racine Wisconsin. Truly an image with "Patriotic Seeds"!!

Photo/Jeffery Phelps

Mark Madson runs down a hillside in Racine on Wednesday, carrying markers used in painting a football-field-sized flag with a tractor. He will add white stripes to the red ones and white stars to a blue field. 'I want to share the feeling I have when I look at the American flag,' Madson said.

 

Giant flag painted across Racine field

By JEANETTE HURT

of the Journal Sentinel staff

Last Updated: Oct. 31, 2001

Racine - Using a tractor as a brush, 300 gallons of paint as a palette and a landfill as his canvas, Mark Madson painted a masterpiece Wednesday.

 

Madson, 49, usually spends his days running his Little Limestone Co. quarry in Clinton in Rock County, but Wednesday he took a turn playing a patriotic Michelangelo. With the help of landfill employees, Madson spent the day painting an American flag the size of a football field - more than 100 yards long and about half as wide - on a slope of the Kestrel Hawk landfill, which is off 21st St., just beyond the back parking lot of Sam's Club on the city's southwest side.

"I want to share the feeling I have when I look at the American flag," Madson said, helping Troy Underhill and Francisco Aralleno fill a hand sprayer with extra blue paint.

Madson, whose blond hair and sun-tanned face was dribbled with blue paint, said he originally wanted to paint the flag in a field outside of Clinton to show his patriotism after the terrorist attacks Sept. 11 in New York and Washington, D.C., but the state Department of Natural Resources said no.

"That's just begging for a flag, but the DNR said I couldn't paint over the weeds," Madson said. "They're protected weeds."

Driving an Oliver 550 tractor, Madson painted the blue corner of the flag with Underhill and Aralleno's assistance before working on the stripes.

"It's a good place to have this - there's enough space here," Underhill said, stepping out of the way as Madson drove by with the tractor, spraying streams of leftover blue paint.

Madson said he came up with the idea to use the landfill about a month ago while he was having breakfast with his friend, Mike Ettner, at Elizabeth's Cafe in Delavan. Ettner runs the landfill, and he offered the field and assistance from employees.Ettner's help, along with paint donated by Hallman/Lindsay Paints of Madison, computerized design donated by Beacon Ballfields of Middleton, and fertilizer equipment donated by DeLong Co. of Evansville and Janesville, got Madson on his way.

"These people had faith in my idea, that it was a worthwhile project," Madson said.

Madson said he designed the project - and the paint system - the Thomas Edison way.

"I found 87 ways to do it wrong before I came up with the right way," Madson said.

Madson is used to playing with equipment and trying out new ideas. He has a truck suspended in a tree outside of his house near I-43. He has produced a two-hour video, "How to Build a Pro Street Lawn Mower," a guide on souping up riding mowers. But this is his first foray into painting.

Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Nov. 1, 2001.

 

Photo/Jeffery Phelps

Apartment complexes provide perspective on the scope of Mark Madson's undertaking Wednesday in this aerial photograph on the southwest side of Racine. 'I've never had so much fun watching paint dry,' Madson said.

Hey, we had another Birthday!! Patriotism was in full bloom, flags, banners, fireworks, lots of red-white-and blue. 236 years old this week. Thank you, founding fathers and all those that have followed to keep this nation great and safe. I salute our old friend Uncle Sam. (My Favorite Uncle)

Happy birthday Uncle, and may you have many more!

Storm Flags

The images are captured and flashed across the world through various sources of news media, visually telling the story of disaster and tragedy that words alone will not and cannot describe of the devastation that seems too often beyond human imagination. Earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes are the ugly reminders that we have no control over the natural world; we only walk upon this land our great nation is built upon. In a few moments, evidence of human existence is reduced to ashes or rubble. Our homes, our towns, our places in the world seem to no longer exist. Who are we, where are we, what now? 

 

There is an answer to those questions found in the imagery of these natural disasters. A common theme that ties each of these people together and provides a simple answer to the questions of who they are, where they are, and above all else provides a symbol of hope to the question of what now. Time after time, out of the ashes and rubble appears a consistent symbol that truly binds us with each other in community, in country, and in our place on the planet. They are the American Flags that fly after the storm. Storm flags, so tattered that they are barely recognizable but to those looking for something, anything of the familiar. They are rescued and resurrected for all to see, marking our place once again upon the land.  

A patriotic symbol of a great nation is a given; however, during these dire circumstances it seems this symbols is used more like the warm comfort of a familiar blanket found in an unfamiliar landscape. Like the Charles Schulz character “Linus” in the “Peanuts” comic strips, it seems to be our security blanket when all seems lost and dark. It reaffirms who we are as Americans, it tells us where we are, and most of all it gives us the eternal hope as Americans whom survive these disasters, and can again move forward as a nation. ~ Ron Goode