The creation of Pieces of Life

After having worked in the communication industry for the past 9 years, it was time for a change. Knowing my next step was going to be in the creative field, ideas came and went but none felt right.  I let them sit for a while, mediated, prayed, talked to close friends and family, and finally, I GOT IT! It had to be creative, but what, photography, design, art, writing, what was I going to focus on? Then one day driving in the mountains thinking about a project my Grandmother asked me to do it all fell into place.

Grandma Sally asked me to take the only current picture of her only living sibling, her brother, and crop the people who were at both sides of him out. Not knowing how I was going to do this without making him look armless, I played around on the computer a bit, but nothing was working. Driving in the mountains that day an idea came. I remembered this picture of Grandma Sally I kept over the kitchen sink. Her picture floated around with me from move to move unframed but always over the kitchen sink. One Christmas this chair/frame showed up in a bag of Christmas presents given to my daughter and immediately I knew Grandma Sally's picture had found a home. Why? Cause Grandma Sally had these chairs on her porch when we were growing up, they were even yellow. Coincidence? No, I don't think so. I was going to take the picture of her brother Uncle Johnny place it in the chair/frame, take a picture of a quilt Auntie Terry (Grandma Sally's sister) made and create an image from these three items. Auntie Terry made this quilt for my oldest daughter Megan out of polyester suits she was famous for wearing. I love the quilt not only cause she made it, but because everytime I see it, I see Auntie Terry wearing one of her suits.

I came home that day knowing I was not only going to do photography but I was also going to create images using photography, design, art and writing. Sitting in front of my computer excited to get started, I purchased a membership on a photography site but I needed a name. No brilliant ideas popping into my head, I sent out a mass text to my closest family members and friends asking for their input. Everyone of them responded with "Pieces". Now for a little history on "Pieces"..."Pieces" is a term of endearment my girls Megan and Jessica (my daughters) say while squeezing their forefinger and thumb together meaning, I love you to Pieces. Its been something we have done for as long as I can remember. Reserved for only family members it has grown and become something special among our special and closests friends as well.  Being that "Pieces" is so special to us we wanted to get a tattoo.  We thought about just getting the word pieces, thought about getting it in a different language, puzzle pieces etc. but nothing was right.  One day I sat down with my skectch pad, wrote the word pieces and just started to draw.

The heart shape is made of two upside down J's one for Jeannette the other for Jessica and they form an M, for Megan, with the word pieces in the center. It was perfect the girls loved it. Back to the mass text, Megan texts and says why not use "Pieces of Life"? Which is absolutely perfect for what I wanted to do. I knew I didn't want to just sell pictures, I wanted to create images using pieces of peoples lives like I did for Grandma Sally, and I had the perfect logo. Once again, coincidence? No, I don't think so!!!