Behind the Art with Rachel

Hey all, happy Tuesday! I'm so glad to be back here with you today to share another 'Behind the Art' post straight from my brain and heart to your computer screen.

Those of you who attended our first live real-time workshop last Sunday have seen this layout.  I wanted to take this opportunity to go deep and share some of the story behind the art.

This may be one of my favorite layouts ever. Here's the prompt:

Frame of Reference: How do you measure whether something is good or bad news? Have you had the experience of something good occurring after something difficult which changed your perspective on the relative importance of the bad, or good thing? What knowledge have you gained during your life that has dramatically shifted your frame of reference for what you can handle or tolerate…what is acceptable to you?

I've done a lot of art about the loss of my sweet first love - my dog, Bart. He lived a wonderful 16.5 years, but it certainly wasn't long enough for me. He was a darling presence in my life for a very long time. 

The photo of us above in the layout is a perfect representation of the love we shared. It truly was a touchstone of my life.

The journaling below tells the story well, so I'll let you read it yourself. But I want to highlight the symbolism.

You'll see a ribbon element created in the middle, a badge of honor for my heart - awarding myself for the bravery to move forward in life even after a significant loss.

I used the triangle studs in two ways. One, leaning on the symbolism of triangle = change - the mathematical symbol, 'delta.' The second, as a directional sign, arrows from my old life to my new one.

The gold sticker labels, 'remember happiness' and 'create today' elucidate the bridge between the past and present. 

The cloud paper used as a background helps highlight the ethereal quality of loss and love. 

The takeaway for me?

The special relationship that Bart and I shared helped me, and helps today, to understand a pure and nurturing kind of love that I now share with my little boy. I am so blessed to have had a model for that kind of deep love. 

Without the loss of Bart, I don't know that I could truly appreciate the joy I feel today. It is heightened, enhanced and elevated because I am so keenly aware of how precious it is to love and be loved.

Stay tuned for a self-scraplift of this layout! I'm excited to share some tips about how the same prompt can be used for another page with a different focus. I'll be back on Friday with more.

Warmly,

Rachel