Marching Along

     I love the look of old tintypes. Most of the time there's no information about the person in the photo, and it makes me want to find out who they were and when the photo was taken. Doesn't this young man look serious? He's so young, and neatly groomed.

     These little girls, probably sisters, look so serious in the picture. Their dresses were hand colored with pink, with just a dab of color on their cheeks. Their hair was cut short, which was unusual for the time, so maybe they were farm girls, who had to help out with the chores.

     Doesn't she look fearless, like she could travel long distances and relocate her whole family for a better life? I made these tintype portrait pendants with an eye toward making some jewelry, but so far I haven't gotten anything assembled yet. I went ahead and listed them in the Etsy shop, in case someone else would like to give them a new life and a story.
     I'm having a crisis of confidence, I have to admit. I've been re-reading some of my posts from 2009, and I was making a lot of new things back then. I've taken time out, for the relocation from St. Louis to Louisiana, and for family time. Have I gotten myself too far out of the mainstream? Have I lost my creativity, and if I have, what will it take to jump start it again?
     I read something the other day, and mentioned it to my daughter. I think I saw it on the internet - "They're only babies for a year." Wow! And that's so true. And the grandson is more than halfway there. I don't regret taking the time out for family. But is it too late for me to be a creative mixed-media artist now?
     I can't help but create, whether it's dresses for the granddaughter, or jewelry charms. 


     I guess I'm wondering if the time off from creating jewelry charms has put me too far back, now. Now, I'm trying to get back into the routine of creating new things - I hope I still have time to re-build again.