Waiting For Jack

(I know that not many people will read this but that should never stop anyone...:o) )

I thought that I would share some of my paintings and their progress, it also does me good to see how they look on-line, the colours change so dramatically that sometimes they no longer feel like my work...so...here goes the first...be gentle...

Pumpkin Patch

This painting was done to honour a friend who passed away at the beginning of February, she was called Tammy and was an amazing artist.

Tammy had a studio called 'Light and Shadow' so I thought the painting should represent these ideas.
We also had an Ehag Emporium theme of Light and Shadow for Tammy, so this fit nicely.

This is painted in oils on canvas paper, I don't have the space for lots of large artwork, so most of my paintings are A4 size, this is also easier to scan!
Tammy made many pumpkin creations, so naturally the painting needed a pumpkin!
And, of course, every Faerie wanted to join in, so it was hard to chose just one, but this lady seemed to speak to me and so she was posed on the pumpkin...

Hand on Heart

I was thinking of Tammy while I painted her, how quickly things can change, just how much we can miss out on if we let ourselves.
I think that if one positive thing can come out of Tammy's death it is this...
We should grasp every moment, make the time matter, don't let things slip away because we are afraid...and make as much Art as we can, so that when we are no longer here, we have something which tells the world, that we were here, that we did something, that we left something for others to enjoy...
After all...Art is long and Life is short...

Waiting For Jack

Mistress Lillian, the Ghost Bride.

As promised, here she is, a little the worse for wear after roaming around the mountains looking for her ghostly lost love.

 

After hearing the news of her love's tragic accident, she put on her bridal gown and locked herself in her boudoir until, overcome with grief, she died of a broken heart...

I do hope that they will embrace once more..I hate sad endings...

For those wanting to see a little more of Lillian, she can be found hiding in my photo albums on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/OldLaceAndLaudanum/photos_stream?tab=photos_albums
Or Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OldLaceAndLaudanum

As for me...I'm still trying to tame that unruly redhead's mane...

In memory of E. H. Steele

 Among some of my Victorian photographs there is one which I found so poignant that it slipped into my dreams.
The dreams were a little sad as I thought about how short some lives are and of the sadness for those we leave behind.
This made me think about a loved one, grieving, which in turn led to the creation of  Mistress Lillian, a Gothic Bride Doll, who sadly, never got to marry her beloved. (Photo's of Lillian will be shown in another post)

The reverse of the photograph says this...

'E. H. Steele, Townsend
Killed by a fall from a cliff near Montreux
Aug. 10 1864-
aged 24

This carte given to me by his dear mother.'

Really, if I had tried to imagine a sadder tale for my doll I do not think I could have found one.
Twenty four is so young it is just so tragic.
I cannot find any more information about this person (and I have tried) so all I am left with is this little photograph of his face peering through the years back at us...a moment caught in time.

I do hope that he does not mind me making Lillian for him.
At least now, his story is not altogether forgotten...

What becomes of the broken-hearted dolls?

I've been gathering together all of the little broken hearts I have made...seeing them all lying there made me feel a little sad.
They are going to hang beneath my doll's skirt as she is collecting them.
This lady has turned out to be quite a challenge but I am enjoying creating her!
She has no hands as yet so I don't want her to face the public...soon though...

I wonder if it will take long for the little broken hearts to mend?