FINDING MY ROOTS -with Shelby

“Digging through my roots to understand the way my branches grew.”― Saleem Haddad

Are you like me…a collector of stories? Do tales of our immigrant past captivate you as they do me? Currently on my bookstand is “Three Minutes in Poland”. The author, Glenn Kurtz, discovered a family home movie filmed in 1938. This began a search to uncover the lost history of the town and people of Nasielsk. I can’t put the book down, and it certainly has influenced my muse for the next project.

I decided to once again create a design inspired by the fabric flags I purchased, this time using just two.  After attaching the flags to my poster board I lightly sanded them. The flags have a canvas texture and the sanding enhanced the weave. I sponged acrylics starting at the bottom and working to the top creating a tranquil evening sky.

The rubber stamp has been in my collection for quite a while. I inked it up with black acrylic paint and repeated the image several times across the flags. I liked the grainy finish which added texture to the composition.

Taking inspiration from the stamp design I added colour by stenciling Artistcellar’s Infra and Highlight Halftone Dots.

The bottoms of the flags are covered with wax infused tissue paper. Reminiscent of the stories told to me, the words create a cadence all their own. I intend to frame the flags and attach beads and charms to the cords…a few that were even passed on to me.

There is so much to learn from recollections shared by family members. Bittersweet memories passed on to me by my grandmother of her youth in Poland are an integral part of my “root system”. And this foundation allowed my branches to search for their perfect evening sky.

MATERIALS USED:

• ARTISTCELLAR STENCILS: QUASICRYSTALS SERIES (Infra), HALFTONE DOTS (Highlight)
• PENNY BLACK RUBBER STAMP: Snow Dust
• DECOART: Emperor Gold, Blue Harbor, Sky Blue, Sea Glass, Purple Pearl
• DINA WAKLEY MEDIA ACRYLIC: Blushing
• PLAID: Sunflower, Pure Gold, Bright Red, Amethyst, Blue Topaz
• DYLUSIONS PAINT: Black Marble
• REEVES: Bronze
• NATURAL SPONGE
• PAINTERS TAPE
• PRINTED TISSUE PAPER
• POSTER BOARD
• ELMERS SPRAY ADHESIVE
• HEIDI SWAPP FABRIC FLAGS 4” X 5.5”

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