Memorial Day Memories and Some New Art

Memorial Day always brings bitter sweet memories of my Dad, a veteran of WWII and Korea, career military man who moved us many different places around the world over his 21 year career in the Corps of Engineers.  He was admitted to the hospital on Memorial Day 1977 and died on June 12. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on my mother's birthday, June 15.  She was only 54 and lived 19 more years.  I don't believe that she was ever really happy after Daddy died.  19 years is a long time to live without the love of your life.

I let other memories get to me this morning and then I made myself go to my "Happy Place" and play around for a few hours.

The first thing I did was pull out two cards I had created last month.  They are on black card stock, 5" square.  I like this one with the bottles.  It was the first one I did so it is a little messy.  I'll have to do another.  This is created using a substance called, "Perfect Medium" on the card and then embossing powder of different colors are brushed onto the wet medium.  Then brushed off, leaving the outline.  I mist with a fixative or water to set the powders.

I used a Gelly Roll pen made for writing on dark backgrounds.

My second attempt was a little more successful, I think.  I loved how the leaves turned out.

After I took the pictures of the cards, I pulled out my new alcohol inks and started creating a sheet of samples of all the palette colors and, just for fun, I dropped a little of each color in puddles of blending mixative on a tile as I worked with each color.  When I finished, I dobbed the tile with a crumpled tissue and took a photo of it.

Then I put a little more color and mixative on it and covered it with Glad Press n' Seal wrap.  I will pull it off tomorrow to see what pattern has been created and decide what else to do with it.

By the time I picked up the laptop to upload my photos, I had dispensed with the feeling of depression I had experienced this morning.  I am so grateful, it is that easy for me.  I know there are other people like my Mom who cannot seem to be able to do that.  But then I still have the love of my life with me every day.