Gothic Arches theme this week is Heritage. My family has a legacy of silliness that I joyfully pass on to the next generation! It’s one of our favorite characteristics about our family.

This is a shared mother and daughter blog, today’s art is created by Laura, the Mama. My eldest daughter, Jessica turned 22 years old yesterday, Easter Day. Happy Birthday Honey! This post is dedicated to you!

This gothic arch image is from our family photographs. They are all women friends of my maternal grandmother, dressed up and acting silly. I enhanced that playfulness with watercolors, acrylics, stamps, metal and fiber embellishments.

It’s my lucky day, a Leprechaun has chosen to be my focal point for Gothic Arches since the theme this week is All Things Celtic!

This blog is shared by mother and daughter, today’s art is created by Laura, the Mama.

I created the arch with canvas, painted it with acrylics and applied a pencil-colored copy of an old photograph of a stage actress. Her hands are not attached. I made the button with a Celtic design.

The secret to her luck…the fourth leaf of the shamrock that she wears at her hip.

Shamrock Facts:

• The word shamrock comes from the Irish word “seamrog” meaning “little clover”.
• St. Patrick used the plant to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and thus it became a symbol of the Holy Trinity for the Irish people.
• Shamrocks have been considered by the Irish as good-luck symbols since earliest times.
• According to Irish folklore, finding a stem of clover with 4 leaves will bring you good luck.
• March 17th is celebrated around the world, with the “wearin’ o’ the green”.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

“Bedtime” is the subject of my artwork for the Gothic Arches theme challenge, “Transition”.

First one must participate by opening the elaborate iron gate and entering into the bedroom…transitioning from outside to inside. It’s bedtime and a little girl had to put aside her playtime with her doll to prepare for bed, always a difficult childhood transition. But sweet lullabies are sung by someone dearly loved which soothes this uncomfortable passage. “Night, night!”

This is one of the ways I used to woo my little ones to sleep. One day my children will grow up and pass these treasured memories on to their children, hopefully in the same way, through song. Music can touch emotions beyond words.

This creation was very difficult to photograph and achieve an exact likeness of each material. The gates and arch are clear acetate photocopied with an old iron gate and adhered with silver tape that I embossed. The image is a copy of a portion of two old photographs tinted with colored pencils. Music printed fabric ribbon, a copy of 1864 wallpaper enhanced with pencil, and hand-lettering completes the artwork. Note detail of the letter, “B” for bedtime at the top of the arch.