Mary and Ireland Art Journal

Even though I have had lots of ideas for other projects, book bindings, and paintings, I do not have anything to show for it. Research and pondering--yes; but not much doing. Most weekends nothing actually advances enough beyond placing things together and photographing them for future reference.

But here is some proof I am doing something visual--a personal art journal exploring the connection I feel toward my great-grandmother and Ireland. I have been intrigued with this ancestress since I first saw her photograph when I was a teenager and was amazed how much I looked like her. Her daughter, my grandmother, was a very private person and did not give me any stories about her but I have tried to pursue her story through other relatives. She came from County Meath and left Ireland for Chicago with her family when she was only 13. Over the years, I've played and paired her main portrait with some of my own photos. Things really clicked creating this cover collage with my photos of her, me in Ireland, and my Irish landscapes.

As you can see, the book is in pieces. Since I have not sewn it together yet, I can work on individual pages and re-arrange the order. 'Tis fun!