Lots to Do Challenge

The theme for the Lots to Do challenge this week is Locks and Keys. Heather at Creative Solace did a lovely collage that sparked a spiritually beautiful memory of mine from days prior to my mother's death. My collage follows the following narrative... bear with me...

I had read a book written by two hospice nurses (Final Gifts) about the "language" of the dying (or "life limited" as they called them). It was filled with case studies of those near death and how they communicated. In almost every case, the patient communicated through symbolism. Anyway... a couple of days before my mom finally passed after a long battle with cancer, I went into her room and told her that my brothers and I were going to run some errands and would be back shortly (I didn't tell her we were going to the funeral home to make her arrangements, though I had told her earlier about the cemetery where we were going to have her buried - she had specific requests - but that's another blog entry). Anyway... again... when I told her we would be back shortly, she said, "Unlock the door." (But in her Georgia drawl it sounded more like - "unlock tha doughah.") I looked at her and at first thought "we've never locked our door."  then I realized what she was saying. If she needed to go... she needed it to be okay if we weren't there... I told her okay, went to the front door, jiggled the handle and went back into the room and told her, "Door's unlocked Mom." She was still there when we got back... but she knew that we wouldn't be angry if she left before we returned. Though sad, my mom's passing was a very spiritual experience for me. Here's the collage inspired by that experience...

I started with the 5x5 artist wrapped canvas that I painted gloss sand color. I added layers of cream colored tissue paper and white modeling paste, made indentations where I wanted to put the elements and built up the side for the photo, then added more tissue paper. I repainted it with the gloss sand and mixed the same paint with some flat burnt umber and water to make a wash. I coated the canvas with the wash and let it dry some, then wiped off some of the wash. I printed the photo on buff cream colored drawing paper that I used to use for my pastels and cut it out and decoupaged it on. Then I attached the key and earring with glue. The photo is from Google and I altered it a bit. The vintage earring and key are from my collection. The earring reminds me of the ones my grandmother used to wear to church.

Those of you that are checking out my other blog, Bits and Pieces of D... Beware... an almost identical post will appear there, only with more views on the experience of my mom's passing.