I’m the sentimental type—I take after my Dad.  And when we get together, he usually has some kind of family memento to pass on to me.  And this latest heirloom is a silhouette of my grandma from 1939.  She was five years old.  I’ve always admired silhouettes and remember this one from my grandma’s house.  And it brought back a curiosity about how the artist was able to capture all of this detail by hand and so precisely cut it out on thick card stock.  My Dad said that silhouettes were often done at fairs back then.

My grandma's silhouette

This sweet silhouette inspired me to capture my own family’s profiles, but instead of hand-sketching, I’d use my camera, and instead of scissors, I’d use Photoshop.  And I am mesmerized with the results.  I simply used the toolkit with which I am most familiar and won’t take credit for any artistic talent here, but the results mean so much to me, because in simple black and white, these silhouettes capture so much feeling and emotion in the profiles of my loved ones.

I sent the boys’ profiles to my parents and they knew them apart right away.  It’s kind of like a finger print that is recognizable.  We are all uniquely shaped, and to those who know us well, there is a lot of feeling and emotion tied to that shape.  When I look at my grandma’s silhouette, I think about what she might have been like as a little girl and I can imagine what her profile would have looked like as an adult—a whole lot like mine, actually. We share so much more than just looks, she was the mother of two boys, an artist, and she loved the Lord, not to mention, I’m pretty sure we share the same stubborn streak!  I miss her so much and would just love to have a cup of coffee with her.  I’ve so enjoyed this little trip down memory lane and will always cherish these silhouettes of my own family.

Capture Your Family in Silhouette and Help Others With Hurricane Ida Relief

I thought maybe other families would enjoy capturing their silhouettes too, so I’m going to be at the Zelienople Open Air Market on September 16th from 6 to 8 p.m., just outside of Parents in Toto.  I’ll be sharing more details as we get closer to the event, but if you are interested, please join our waitlist here.  All proceeds will be donated directly to the Red Cross to help people affected by Hurricane Ida.