was rummaging through some old magazines and stumbled across a very old autograph book from around the turn of the century. The handwriting was so beautiful and each page had a lovely saying for a girl named Ruth, from her friends and teachers. I wanted to give Ruth a name and a place and here she is.

To create this piece I spread a thick layer of gesso, then used different items to texture it as it dried. Then I layered several thin washes of Golden acrylic paint over that. I waited until each wash was completely dry before pouring and dripping the next wash on. On one page of the autograph book was an acrostic using the the letters of Ruth's name:

Rambler

Unaffected

Tomboy

Henry

I have used that bit in the collage along with many other little bits and pieces like a sentence cut from a vintage book that reads: it was just the loveliest kind of day, paper, tissue paper, magazine clippings, granite crystals (the stuff that gives concrete that shimmery look), and Pearl Ex paints. I used a square of silver metal leaf toward the center and tarnished it. I then painted turquoise in the center and sewed a silver butterfly into the square using metallic embroidery floss. The floss is also sewn just above the butterfly.