Love Always

 

Like everyone else, I was profoundly touched by the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Next to keeping our children safe at home, we expect them to be safe at school.  What happened was unimaginable.  

 

Shortly after, I started working on a painting.  I knew I wanted it to have a house or a school house.  I knew I wanted it to have a heart for every person lost that day.  I wanted it to have a sense of time - time passing, time running out, time standing still.  I wanted it to to have bright, primary colors, like children would use.  And finally, I wanted it to convey a sense of re-birth and renewal, because death and birth are intertwined; one does not exist without the other. 

As I worked on it, I kept hearing the song "A Little Fall of Rain" from Les Miserables in my head:

 A little fall of rain

Can hardly hurt me now

You're here, that's all I need to know

And you will keep me safe

And you will keep me close 

And rain will make the flowers grow. 

Here is what emerged:

Made with acrylics, polymer clay, gelli plate paper collaged house and hearts, stamping, scribbling, love.

Linking to Creative Everyday,  Create With Joy, Mandarin Orange Monday, Make it on Monday, and Monday Mantras.

My older daughter Mariel and two of her cousins have always been extremely close -- like sisters.  I've held onto an extra copy of this photo of the three of them (from 1998) for years, thinking I'd do something special with it.  When I bought this old book at a book sale, I knew its destiny!

I cut an opening in the front of the book roughly the size of the photo.  I removed some of the first few pages too, and used them to make a matte for the photo.  I used the pieces I cut away to decoupage around the opening on the book cover to smooth out the edges.

I added many layers of paint, lace, stenciling, stamping, and embellishments, to created a frame for this sweet photo.  I glued the cover together with all of the remaining pages, leaving the back cover to create a stand.

I do believe that they will love each other always.

Linking to Eclectic Paperie (altered book), Happy Daze (Love is All Around), Inspiration Emporium (LOVE), Frilly & Funkie (lace and hearts) and One Little Word (Always).

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