Today my friend Dolly and I met with a group of women to share how we incorporate special items from the past in our art. To set the stage the centerpieces were comprised of old picture frames, ribbon, pictures, baby shoes, dried flowers and buttons to create memories of family treasures. I was amazed with the reaction to the objects we had placed as centerpieces on each of the tables. As the women gathered and found their seats it was pleasing to hear the delight in their voices as they inspected the items. Their memories were sparked as they shared stories of their past with new and old friends.
It is a shame that as we move from city to city or downsize our lives to prepare for retirement those special items that we saved and mean so much to us end up in boxes, in storage or in photo albums to be viewed or brought out only during special occasions.
Keeping family items up front in the open has always been a part of our family. My great grandmother Ritzi was the society editor for the Long Beach Press in California and kept scrapbooks and plenty of pictures. As kids we would go through those books and imagine Ritzi's glamorous life. She rode elephants, dined with John Barrymore and wore the most fabulous jewelry. Today her pictures are so precious to all of us and the stories are priceless. Altered art, mixed media and collage are great ways to showcase those special treasures and to fondly remember those family members and their stories. Pull out those items and artfully display them so you can remember those stories of the past and share them with your friends and family.
Go and create with the ones you love!
