Entries Tagged as: history

Dear Photograph

September 29th, 2011, Comments (4)

A friend (thanks, Kim!) clued me in to this beautiful site, Dear Photograph. It seemed to fit so nicely with the history theme this month, that I had to share it!

The people who submit an image, hold an old photograph up in the same place, take a picture (I included an example above) and then include a message, which begins, "Dear Photograph..."

Check it out. The images and words are sure to touch your heart. 

20 weeks

September 19th, 2011, Comments (18)

Along the lines of personal history, I've been thinking back over the last year in the history of myself and my little girl. She is twenty weeks old today! Amazing! She's got such a personality already, so happy and sweet (and also firey, strong and silly!) At this milestone, I couldn't help but think back to when I was twenty weeks pregnant with her (and looking oh, so serious! haha!), half-baked, as I called it then (although she came a little early, so she was a bit more than halfway there already.)

I was just starting to show and just starting to breathe easier about the pregnancy, with a successful anatomy scan behind us (where we found out that my intuition about having a girl was correct) and feeling her move (amazing!) It was an exciting time and the hubster and I spent a lot of time speculating about what she'd be like, what she would look like, what things she would enjoy doing. And now she's been in our life for twenty weeks!

I can't say that time has exactly flown by, like everyone says it does. It has in some ways, but in others, with a baby who does not like to sleep, time moves quite slowly. But today, I'm feeling a bit sentimental about her reaching this milestone. Twenty weeks sounds like a big number! And today, I moved the shoulder straps in her car seat up a notch. She's getting so long!

Here's to my sparkling little girl and the weeks, months, and years ahead. I love you, Mush!

Using Items with History in Your Work

September 18th, 2011, Comments (7)


There's something really fabulous about using items that have a history to them in your work. I feel like it gives a certain depth to a piece of art, a layering of stories. Sometimes the stories are so juicy that I have trouble covering them up! In Roots (above), I made use of a fun "Today's Woman" magazine from the 50's. The ads from that magazine were pretty interesting!


I've found collage items at flea markets, bought them from people online, and found them amongst my own stash of papers. They may be blueprints, dress patterns, handwritten recipes, maps, or old photos. Collaged together, their stories combine to tell a new tale, one which I might not expect when I start putting them together. In What's Behind (above), it felt like the story created was one the woman in the painting is trying to leave behind her.

Family History in Your Art

September 8th, 2011, Comments (7)

This month's theme called to mind some of the pieces I've done relating to my own family history. While working intuitively and learning about encaustic art, I created a piece called "Memory Tree." It related to my family tree and my grandmother who at the time was suffering from Alzheimer's. She has since passed away.
 

I later created other memory trees in encaustic. I loved the medium, but didn't love the fumes (they gave me a headache), so I had to stop.

Family history, stories, memories, loss, and joys can be such a powerful place to draw from in your creations. What sort of family history could you pull from for your own creations?

p.s. My mother and sister are walking to raise funds for Alzheimer's research this fall in memory of my grandmother. If you feel called to, you can help support the cause here. Thank you!