"Blessed be childhood, which brings down something of heaven."
~Henri Frederic Amiel 1821-1881
Back 20 years ago I was making post cards using a collage technique of painting, pen and ink, stamping, and glued on papers, pictures, and fabric. When I finally found then, I could not believe it has been 20+ years, but the date on these original cards says 1995. What made me think about them was the amount of deaths we have had in our country of young children due to gun violence...and especially the Oklahoma City Bombing on April 19, 1995. It was around this time I had started my series of Children ~ Our Hope, and then there was the bombing. It upset me so badly that I decided to work out my sadness by painting on my post cards. This was my first attempt at using water colors so my pictures are very primitive. I painted them on very heavy matting, and to mail them I had to have them hand stamped and pay added postage. Luckily I saved most of my originals.
This was my first card.
Children ~ Our Hope
My first card of the Children’s Series.
The names at the foot of the beds were those of family and friends. Boy Hornot represented my daddy, and Boy Gray was the name of my principal at the time.
This is my second card in the series.
Then came the devastating Oklahoma City Bombing on Apri 19, 1995, and that is when the tone of my cards changed. I was devastated by the number of dead and injured, and the deaths of 19 little children in the day care center broke my hear in two. Here are the cards I created following that tragic and unforgettable day and helped me to work out my grief.
My Third Card
"Suffer the Little Children”
My Fourth Card
“The Littlest Angels”
My Fifth Card
“Going Home”
My Sixth Card
“The Journey Has Begun”
My Seventh and Last Card
These are the same children as in my first card, but this time they are dressed differently, and I have added tissue paper, a USPS postal stamp, and an ink stamp. They are still smiling and happy, and they continue to be our hope for the future.
This post is linked with Blue Mondays, Monday Mellow Yellows, Pippa’s Weekend That Has Been, NF DAMS~Digital Art Meme, Paint Party Friday, and Saturday Art Linkup.
These are the same children as in my first card, but this time they are dressed differently, and I have added tissue paper, a USPS postal stamp, and an ink stamp. They are still smiling and happy, and they continue to be our hope for the future.
This post is linked with Blue Mondays, Monday Mellow Yellows, Pippa’s Weekend That Has Been, NF DAMS~Digital Art Meme, Paint Party Friday, and Saturday Art Linkup.
