This collage titled “Once Upon A Time” is another of the pieces I made for our “Threads of the Past” show at Uncommon Art.
The photo is of my parents drinking a toast on their wedding day. Behind them is sheet music for “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”, which has the lyrics:
There are loved ones in the glory
Whose dear forms you often miss.
When you close your earthly story,
Will you join them in their bliss?
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?
I wrapped colorful paper around the left edge of the canvas and covered it with soft, handmade paper. Stitched to it is a piece of mylar, and the right edge is fastened with pearlized buttons. The overlay feels a bit like the cover of a wedding album, and the buttons are reminiscent of those you might find on a wedding dress.
The mylar is only semi-transparent, so it obscures slightly the photo of my parents. That, along with the lyrics, indicate that the people have passed on and remain here only in memory.
Click on the photo for a larger view.
Title: Once Upon A Time
Medium: Collage with photo, sheet music, paper, thread, mylar, buttons
Size: 10×10 inches on canvas
Signed: on the back
Exhibits: “Threads of the Past” at Uncommon Art; “Delivering Stories” at the BOX Gallery, Akron; “In The Pink” at Hudson Fine Art & Framing