Progress??

Got the background 'painted' - chalk and oil pastels, paint sticks, and a bunch of turpentine. My artist daughter Erin came over and helped me through my BLOCK with this piece. She threw lots of great ideas out and one was about a map! I have an old world map from a 1963 Readers Digest atlas, so we cut it to fit in the hole, the colors are PERFECT. Not sure yet what else I'm going to put do in the 'hole' , but it is starting to work. The block is gone, at least for now! Thanks Erin!!! Lifesaver! I was ready to chunk the whole thing and my art 'career' too.

Alot of it isn't glued down yet. The bright silver metal piece is actually the same as the others, the flash got it.
I 'wrote' in the wet paint with several colors of oil paint stick, then used the other end of a paint brush to write into the wet stuff - more to my Mom. I use rubber gloves and turp to mix and smudge the colors, it leaves a cool texture.

The 'metal edge says:
'Mom, I've been missing you - are you out there somewhere listening, watching me? I'm trying to do right by you, trying to get the kids not to fight and be mean to each other. I'm trying Mom, won't you come to me in a dream Mom? Help me know what to do - I feel pretty useless right now, everyone needs something and I am only one person...just like you did all your life, try to fix things and make them better 'frosting the cow patty' I guess! But your dreams, your words, your hopes for all of us, are mine.'
'Mom this is for you- I should have loved you better when you were alive - I hope you can hear me now.'
' I miss you Mom, how many times have I almost called you before I remember - My mother is dead. These words are still impossible to comprehend. I haven't cried yet, I am afraid to...'


I'm still working through my relationship with my Mom and her death in my art, and this is part of it - says the very objective unemotional part of me -
the other part can barely breathe...