Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Buried Treasure

Seth Apter , who recently participated with this gorgeous piece in the dots and dashes Stencil Test Drive,
by Seth Apter: http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/2013/06/mixed-media-morse-code.html
has created a wonderful blog hop happening, called "Buried Treasure."  He has invited bloggers to reach back into their archives and re-post a post that is "buried." 

I reached back to last summer for a post about discovering a Holocaust survivor in my community. 

The post is called Heroes and Heroines Among Us, originally posted on August 6, 2012:  

On Friday, I played in a round robin tennis game with my dad.  Midway through, I had to use a restroom, and one of the men watching offered his nearby bungalow.  His mom was inside.  She's a sweet, tiny woman -- probably barely 5 feet tall, who visits every summer.  As we exchanged pleasantries about how lovely it is here at Pine Lake Park, I noticed the numbers tattooed on the inside of her forearm.   I had had no idea.

It turns out that Regina and Victor Lewis, my neighbor's parents, survived the Holocaust in an amazing story that intersects with Schindler's list.  You can read about it here.  I have known her for many years, and had no idea of the horrors she endured and the miracle that she survived!  It made me think about the people we encounter every day -- we have no idea of their back stories.  We think they are ordinary when they are probably extraordinary.

Reading the Lewis's story, I wondered whether Regina looked at the starry skies over Auschwitz and wondered if she would see Victor again.  The unlikelihood of ever seeing him again must have been overwhelming.  Even if she had known of his daring escape from the cattle car bringing his family to death, to believe that she would survive and that they would reunite would have surely been too much to bear.

Immediately after reading their story, I created this collage on a 12" x 12" canvas with a rough sketch of an angel in the stars:


I painted in the background using paint chips (more fexible than a plastic card) to drag various colors across the textured background:



And then more collage, more paint, some stamping and stencilling, and the words "I think of you in starry skies" from the song "Sound of Winter."  The next part of that lyric is "I keep you so alive."  Regina and her beloved Victor found each other after the war.  Perhaps it was their love that kept them alive.  I hope you'll read their story.


http://jessicasporn.blogspot.com/2013/06/buried-treasure.html
You can find this canvas in my canvas in my Etsy shop.  

I hope you will go to Seth's blog and visit the other artists revealing their buried treasures.  I've already discovered so many cool techniques and have been so inspired from visiting artists I know and love, and those I'm just discovering!

Linking to Paint Party Friday.  Thank you so much Kristin and Eva for hosting such a wonderful blog hop each week!

Thank you for visiting! I hope you will leave me a comment to let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will answer any questions as quickly as I can.
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29 comments:

  1. I love each and every one of your posts.

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  2. Thanks for re-sharing this story....make me feel all warm inside. xox

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  3. Wow, I am a newer (within the last six months) follower and I really love to see your earlier posts, this is so pretty Jessica. Your awesome and so inspiring to me,

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  4. A great story...and everyone has one, but not always with such a happy ending.

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  5. Everytime I come here to read your posts and look at your wonderful art and videos, I know something very special is awaiting me.
    This time it made me cry. Thank you for the words that touched my heart!
    Your angel in the stars is a beautiful tribute to this story.

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    1. Thank you - it is such a beautiful story - I just saw Regina last weekend - she is such a graceful lady and she inspires me so much.

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  6. Beautiful work you have created here from a tragic story with a happy ending. So many stories, we never know what lives others have led until we inquire. Thanks for sharing this one.

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  7. This is truly a moving story of extraordinary people in our midst, and an amazing piece of art that was inspired by it. Blessings my friend!

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  8. Beautiful piece! I worked for a time at a Jewish Old People's home, where I was responsible for the religious and cultural side, and we had many, many people with those awful numbers on their arms, and even worse stories behind them. Thank God that some survived to tell of it! Valerie

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  9. What amazing and powerful art, Jessica!
    I am such a fan of yours!
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

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  10. Beautiful art, Jessica. I went to the link and read that amazing story of survival. Thanks for posting it.

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  11. It is truly amazing the human spirit. I cannot fathom what it was like for those who suffered during the holocaust. I live in an area with a large community of holocaust survivors and their offspring. Their stories are truly heartbreaking.

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  12. This is so powerful and beautiful, Jessica. Thank you for sharing the link too. My neighbors when I was growing up also were survivors and never spoke of it, but I remember seeing those numbers and being incredulous that a person could be branded that way. The true horror was unknown to me then.

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  13. Such a beautiful piece. I am going to read their story now. Thank you Jessica. HPPF!

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  14. Beautiful post, beautiful artwork. I always love coming here :)

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  15. terrific post and artwork Jessica. Happy PPF, Annette x

    http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

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  16. what a touching post and beautiful, beautiful art!

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  17. A moving post, its incredible how tough the human spirit can be. Thanks for sharing. Love your art.

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  18. I always find it inspiring to come and visit and read your words as well as see your art work... I love how connected they are... fabulous idea about the buried treasure post...xx

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  19. Absolutely wonderful art and it was was great to read the about the story behind it.
    :) Chris / CS Designs

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  20. Love this one! She is gorgeous and I love how you made the background to form her!

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  21. Lovely girl and the buried treasure is fab too...
    Nice post Jessica :)

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  22. I remember reading this story on your blog back then and it is still just as powerful a story now- so inspiring to have this influencing your art!

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  23. Your canvas and that story are so lovely - thank you for sharing this.

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  24. beautiful canvas, i love the story and the flying girl is wonderful, i love these so much.

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