LIFE, NOTHING MORE. Collage. Shelby Pizzarro

LIFE, NOTHING MORE. Collage

Hard to believe the year is drawing to a close. Although a cliché, it does seem like only yesterday that I was hanging up a new calendar and wondering what the year would bring. From the astonishing to the zany, 2015 didn't disappoint.

And this year I was part of an incredibly creative group of women in a Journal exchange round-robin. Each person chose a theme. The interpretation was totally your own. I'd like to share my contribution to the monochromatic "Faces" journal.

While wondering which direction to take, I looked through a few magazines I had on my work table. And that's when my Muse directed me to a headline that seemed perfect: LIFE, NOTHING MORE. Everything fell into place when I found a photo of a group of people celebrating the end of World War II. Their faces held the hope of a new tomorrow. They were celebrating Life. In that moment. They were fully present. Mindful.

We hurry through our days...with Life happening around us. And as I tear each month off the calendar I wonder...where did the time go? Did I have a hand in creating my life? And did I make time for what really matters?

The substrate for the spread is heavy watercolour paper. I rubber stamped the background with a variety of stamps I had at hand.  I tore the vintage War photo into strips, and layered it between an article printed in the Art section of our local newspaper. The headline: "LIFE, NOTHING MORE" is also from a locally published magazine. My face doodle on a scrap of tracing paper and printed tissue paper completed the work.  

As the Holiday Season and the year draws to a close, this is the perfect time to stop. To be mindful. To create your Life. Nothing more.

Sisterhood of the Muse