Sunday, May 07, 2006

I bought this shadow box back in early April with the intention of doing an assemblage for my Gram for Mother's Day. I finally got around to it today.

The image I used is my Gram and her family in front of their house. I keep meaning to ask her who took pictures, since they were very, very poor and I can't imagine they owned a camera themselves.

The odds and ends in the frame are old lace, bobbins, part of a measuring tape, an old fashioned clothes peg, a button, a wedding ring, an old button, some rusty bolts, a buckle and the butterfly shaped thing used to hold summer window screens on. I included the sewing stuff because my great grandmother was a seamstress and the mechanical bits are for my great grandfather who worked hard all his life as a baker (when he could-he had bad allergies to flour) and on the family farm.

After doing the exercise about "Where I am from" I thought it would be interesting to do one about my Gram's life, so that's what's around the outside of the frame. Here's what it says:

Where I Am From


I come from handmade clothes and Salvation Army services,
from walking miles, even in bad weather just to save the carfare.


I come from fresh baked bread and the smell of a wood stove,
from pulling my brothers in a wagon and writing on the side of the house with chalk.

I come from perfect penmanship and hankies in pockets,
from neatly pressed clothes and making do.


It goes in the mail first thing tomorrow morning. I hope she likes it-I have never sent her any of my mixed media art before.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This shadow box is beautiful. I love the colors and everything inside it. It was so nice to read what you wrote on the frame and about your Gram. I'm sure she will love it and think it is a beautiful masterpiece :0)