More pieces for The Wall of Ancestors

(Above:  Virgins on Our Wedding Night, The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  4 1/8 x 7 3/4"; Framed:  7 1/2" x 11".  Click on any image in this post for an enlargement.)

Coming back from nearly two weeks at Focus on Fibers at the Atlantic Center for the Arts meant unpacking, facing a mountain of custom picture framing that piled up while I was away, and then getting prepared to leave for another teaching engagement.  Yes!  Tomorrow I leave for Legacy Weekend at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee to teach a 3-day experience called "Second Life".  The workshop will focus on making a small, heirloom art quilt using grave rubbings, small family mementos, and vintage materials. 


(Above:  Beloved; Spoiled.  The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  4" x 2 1/2"; Framed: 11 1/4" x 9 3/4".)

It was nearly impossible to spend quality time in my studio (except for this past weekend) but it was easy to create lots more pieces for The Wall of Ancestors.  Why?  Well, I collaged all these antique and vintage photos while working at Mouse House ... between cutting mats and doing all the other things at my "day job".  All these pieces were conceived and completed last week.  They will hang with the 30+ others in a group exhibition at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios called Say Something.  This show is the annual one for all the thirteen artists with studio space in the building.  It is part of Artista Vista, the spring art crawl, and will be up from April 24 -  May 6, 2014.  The reception is the evening of Artista Vista, Thursday, April 24th from 5 - 9 PM.  My installation, Threads: Gathering My Thoughts will also be on view that night ... up the street at Studio Cellar.  I, however, will not be attending.  Steve and I scored airline tickets to Barcelona.  We leave on Wednesday, the 23rd!  I will be installing everything on the 22nd!  I'm excited ... because I'm much more into the installing than into the party!


(Above:  A Church Deacon.  The Wall of Ancestor Series.  Unframed:  6" x 4 1/4"; Framed: 11 1/2" x 9 1/2".)

My vision for The Wall of Ancestors is to completely cover the available space ... from top to bottom ... a dense collection of old family photos ... as if on display in a typical house ... as if all of one's own relatives.  Of course, I haven't been told exactly on which wall at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios my work is to hang.  Thus, I'm just making more and more of these pieces in anticipation of a "really big wall".  LOL!  I've now got over 90 pieces.  I hope it will be enough!


(Above:  Clothes Make the Man.  The Wall of Ancestor Series.  Unframed: 6 1/2" x 7 1/4"; Framed 11 1/2" x 12 1/2".)

I really, really love making these pieces ... figuring how just what phrase best suits each anonymous image.  Some seem sadly forgotten.  Some seem stoic. Some seem like a vision of a fairy-tale existence from a beautiful past era.  Then, there are some, like the one above, that just seem hilarious.  Of course, I haven't the faintest idea whether the baby in this sepia photograph is a boy or a girl ... but this phrase made it even funnier! 


(Above:  Early to Bed; Early to Rise; Made Us Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise.  The Wall of Ancestor Series.  Unframed:  11" x 13"; Framed 16" x 18".)

Below are the rest of the pieces made last week.  I have to thank my husband Steve for all this.  Although I make all this work, select the scraps of picture frame moulding for each one, photograph, label, and blog them ... Steve is the one building all the frames!  I don't think there's much "scrap" left in our garage ... but I hope to find a few more pieces because I still have more vintage photos.  Enjoy these!  I hope to blog from Arrowmont!


(Above:  Every Day Was Mother's Day.  The Wall of Ancestors.  Unframed:  6 1/4 x 4 1/2"; Framed:  11 1/2" x 9 1/2".)


(Above:  Fat and Happy All My Life.  The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed: 9" x 6"; Framed: 13 3/4" x 10 1/4".)


(Above:  Favorite Child. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed: 5 1/4"; Framed: 6 3/4" x 6".)


(Above:  The Head of the Family.  The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  4" x 2 1/2"; Framed: 12" x 11".)


(Above:  I Did Not Hesitate But Was Lost. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  5 3/4" x 3 1/4"; Framed: 10 3/4" x 8 1/2".)


(Above:  I Never Fell in Love. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  5 1/4" x 3 1/2"; Framed: 15 3/4" x 13 1/2".)


(Above:  I Spent My Life Waiting For Someone Who Never Came. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  14" x 11"; Framed: 18" x 15".)


(Above:  I Tried to Be the Son My Father Always Wanted. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  6" x 4 1/4"; Framed: 12 3/4" x 10 3/4".)


(Above:  I Was a Rolling Stone; Gather No Moss. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  9" x 6"; Framed: 12 1/4" x 9 1/4".)


(Above:  I Was the Letter Writer in the Family. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed: 5 1/2" x 3 3/4" ; Framed: 11" x 9 1/4".)


(Above:  I Went Off to Make My Fortune and Never Came Back. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  5 1/2" x 3 3/4"; Framed: 11" x 9 1/4".)


(Above:  Ladies Man. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  6" x 4"; Framed: 9 3/4" x 8".)


(Above:  Life Was Hard. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  4 1/4" x 3 1/4"; Framed: 10" x 9".)


(Above:  My Life Was a Fairy Tale. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  4" x 2 1/2"; Framed: 9 1/2" x 8 3/4".)

(Above:  Never Too Late to Learn. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  9" x 6 1/2"; Framed: 11" x 8 3/8".)


(Above:  I Lived the Adage, Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  7 1/2" x 5 1/4"; Framed: 14" x 12".)


(Above:  Old Maid. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  9" x 6"; Framed: 10 3/4" x 7 3/4".)


(Above:  One Enchanted Evening. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  8 1/4" x 6"; Framed: 10" x 8".)


(Above:  Practice Makes Perfect. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  5" x 6 1/2"; Framed: 8 1/2" x 10 1/4".)


(Above:  Raised By Our Nanny.  The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed: 5 3/4" x 4 1/4"; Framed: 15" x 13".)


(Above:  Sisters, Spinsters.  The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  3" x 6 1/2"; Framed: 8" x 12 1/2".)


(Above:  Smart But Narrow Minded. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  5 1/2" x 3 3/4"; Framed: 11" x 9 1/4".)


(Above:  The Best Things in Life Are Free. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  8 1/2" x 5"; Framed: 16 3/4" x 13 1/2".)

 

(Above:  This Was My Last Birthday. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  7" x 5"; Framed: 11" x 8 1/2".)

(Above:  We Lived for Adventure. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  6 1/2" x 4 1/4"; Framed: 10" x 8 1/2".)


(Above:  We Played It Safe and We Were Never Sorry.  The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  5 3/4" x 7"; Framed: 12 1/2" x 13 1/2".)


(Above:  We Knew How to Have a Good Time. The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  4 1/4" x 5 1/2"; Framed: 8 1/4" x 10".)

(Above: Be Careful What You Wish For . The Wall of Ancestors Series.  Unframed:  9 7/8" x 7 7/8"; Framed: 15" x 13".)
Sorry ... this photo was blurry!
I am linking this post to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays", a site for sharing fiber art work ... even though this week my post really doesn't include any "fibers"! LOL!