The object I am describing is not one of the items I brought to class, but still holds sentimental value to me. This is a photo on matte board that my cousin’s grandmother had taken. I found this picture two years ago and have been hanging it on my walls ever since. 

It is an 8×10 inch photo that is framed by the maroon colored matte board. It is about a third of an inch thick, which makes it great for hanging on the wall. It is not too heavy, and is easily supported by blue painters tape or museum strength hanging putty. The matte board is made up of a mostly paper based concentration, and can have wood pulp or cotton fibers added to it as well. It is smooth to the touch, but also very durable as it is only starting to bend or peel a bit in the corners. My cousin’s grandmother’s signature is also in the bottom right corner below the picture.

I love this picture so much, because of the aesthetic of it. The colors in the flower are bright and beautiful, yet still subdued hues and match the color of the matte board almost perfectly. The statue is holding what looks like a cornucopia of produce, and she seems to be cradling it as one holds a child. All the little details in her appearance make me love this photograph so much; the waves in her hair, the folding of her dress, and how it wraps around her, and how the placement of this statue is so strategic, the flowers in this garden seem to dance, sway, and grow every which way around her.

The color scheme and amount of detail in this picture are what drew me to it. It has so much going on when you really take a look at everything, but it is also very still, and calming. The colors are pure and relaxed, and do not make me feel overwhelmed when I look at them all. I feel graceful, peaceful, and serene when I see this photograph. It’s also a great connection to my family. While my cousin’s grandmother is not my immediate grandmother, I have always loved her and adored her work. She is an artist, and every time I got to see her I loved being able to explore her in-home studio and see everything she was working on. Unfortunately, she suffered from some severe health problems, and had to move in order to receive the help she needed. I found this picture among many others, when cleaning out her house with my cousins two summers ago. We decided to try and sell some of her artwork, so that others could appreciate it, but when searching through a bin of other 8×10 photos in matte board just like this one, I knew I had to keep it. I have never gotten the chance to ask where this garden statue is, or when she even took this photo, but something about the unknown of it, makes me love it even more. Being able to look at this picture in a new light has made me appreciate it more, and want to be able to explore other items I hold closely, to see what I can say about them, and what they say about me.