Change of Life

I have a collection on Spoonflower called "Change of Life."  Even though women of a certain age are told to embrace this new chapter in our lives and that 60 is now 50, 50 is now 40, etc., I really feel this is being dishonest to women.  We might be healthier and have longer life expectancies than our foremothers, but, frankly, most of our foremothers didn't live long enough to go through the "change of life."

A design I did for this collection is called Hot Flash.  The fat quarter version can be seen here  and the Hot Flash repeat (I think Hot Flash repeat is just funny -- who really wants a repeat of a hot flash!!) design can be viewed here.

The whole collection is based on a single mask I created a few years ago.  Freaky, huh? At least that's what my husband thinks.  It's covered in bleeding tissue paper.  The eyes are photographs of my eyes.  I made the mask to represent the many changes I was experiencing:  children leaving home, going to college, getting married, and having children of their own.  My husband and I have become the spectators instead of the participants in our children's lives.

I appreciate that I've lived long enough to experience the change of life.  Can't say I'm particularly enjoying it, but there are worse things, aren't there?

I think every gynecologist's waiting room should have a throw pillow of "Hot Flash."  They could then ask their patients, "Is this how you feel?"  :-)

I just noticed the last time I published a post to this blog on July 3, the topic was the same.  Ha.  Now that's freaky!

Change of Life

I am slowly rolling out a new collection of designs on Spoonflower called "Change of Life."  The designs are based on one papier mache mask which I did several years ago.  The mask was covered with bleeding tissue paper, then coated with a clear acrylic coating.  In the eyes sockets, I placed two small square mirrors.  On top of those mirrors are images of my eyes. My husband and children find the mask creepy, but my grandchildren love it. The slide into menopause is as traumatic as changing from a little girl to a teenager.  So many changes, so many different feelings, so many highs and lows.  I tried to reflect this in this mask.