a commision

I just completed this for a friend who commissioned as a birthday gift for his wife (who is also a dear friend). He told me he wanted the photos and the quote and have them finished over with something protective.

He has seen some of my collage and decoupage. He likes the beeswax stuff but I knew when he realized it was wax he wouldn't go for it. He has an archivist's heart.

I really didn't want to do layers of decoupage. So I used Golden Gel Medium Extra Heavy Gel Matte. I did a small experimental collage with C's school portrait before I did this collage. I am pleased with how this turned out. I hope B likes it. He gave me a lot of freedom.

The music is the hymn He Leadeth Me and the text behind it is a page full of definitions for the word word.

If you've ever noticed the motif in my collages of three buttons or mirrors organized in a triangle (like they are in the center of the clock face in this collage) it is my own personal symbol for the trinity.

The fish has the word kairos in his belly.

The rest of the symbolism is pretty straightforward. I used gold leaf on the cross, the fish, and on the edge of the board (you can't see it very well here).

For those who collage, I found out something nice about the medium I used. You can glue surface objects using it and so it all happens in one final step rather than several steps as I generally work out for surface objects.