If Walls Could Talk I

I have lots of pictures and documents, many of which are over 100 years old and luckily were passed down to me. How lucky for me that my family were "savers". I've enjoyed manipulating these photos and documents in my photo editing program. After taking a weeklong workshop with Pat Mink, I became interested with a technique she taught us for layering photos together. With this technique I started layering pictures of people (many of them ancestors) on top of old walls, windows, rock surfaces etc. I liked the "ghost-like" image that appeared. I've often thought when being in an older place, what stories it could conjure up - if only walls could talk, and the idea of a series was born. This first piece features a picture of my grandmother at the age of 17, and around the time she was married. It's always been one of my favorite photos. Ethel Layla was born in the late 1800s. I layered her photo over a rock wall with a doorway of sorts. I like the effect as it's very subtle;  you have to look carefully to see her face.
A detail

Most of the fabric I created myself; this part was dyed and silk screened with trees, which I love. I don't know if my grandmother loved trees as I do, but she was a wonderful gardener.

This part features writing printed from a silk screen. The screen was made using a page from my mother's autograph book from the 1930s. I use this screen a lot; next to it is a screen of Thistles.

More screen printing details and a stamp using words. There's also a bit of hand embroidery - cross stitch, something I haven't done in a while.

I use this next screen a lot also as I like the use of words and script in my work. This is a page from my other grandmothers cookbook done in her writing. It's just a recipe for apple cake but I love the idea that she wrote it; I think it adds interest and a personal touch.

I have about 5 other fabric prints ready to go, I'm anxious to see how they'll turn out.