My collage was a pleasure to create. I love animals. I love fields, and have a lifelong fondness for barns. While it is true that the buildings in @shaka's template picture this week were not true barns, still they called to mind those cavernous, musty structures.
The Template Picture Offered by @shaka
My immediate impulse when I saw @shaka's photo was to make a lovely setting where horses and all animals could be happy. So, I expanded the grassy area and added different kinds of grass. I gave the picture a more vibrant backdrop, with a colorful, exuberant sky.
The buildings were transformed, so they looked more like traditional barns.
A Barn, as I Once tried (Years Ago) to Render It From Memory
Image credit: My own drawing
Readers of my blog know I lived as a child in a rural area. We rented a property for a few years, and the landlord had a barn on that property. This building was unused, but retained the aura of former years. Traces of moldy hay. A scent, as I imagined it, of horses that had occupied stalls. And there was a hay loft that offered a view of our yard, and forest close by.
I loved that barn, as you can probably see from the picture. I so carefully tried to bring the building back to life. I'm pretty sure the barn doesn't exist anymore. Such a long time ago.
One of my brothers told me a story about when he went up into the loft with a pack of matches. My two brothers were quite adventurous so this is not surprising. The two of them were together that day. They were always together. Unfortunately, they were discovered. As my brother recalls it, they received a good lickin'--that is, a beating. One of the most trying parts of getting a beating was that the offending child was usually asked to go find the switch (pliant bit of a tree) with which the beating would be accomplished.
Lest you be stunned by this, in those days, in that area, it was considered essential to apply strict corporal punishment as a response to misdeeds. My mother, who was gentle and city bred, took exception to this custom. She was regarded with consternation because she couldn't bear to inflict such pain on her children.
A Switch
Pixabay
A switch would be about this thick, not too stiff and not too pliant. It would have less growth on it, ideally no growth. A few 'licks' with the switch would be enough. Unless the offense was really bad. I don't know if my father used his hands or a switch that day, for the barn offense. My brother just remembers that he was severely punished.
We never had a horse on our property, but we did have a goat. I understand the goat was kept for the milk it provided. However, I have no recollection of the goat. Only one picture remains of this pet/work animal. Where is that picture? I don't know.
The two dogs in the foreground of my collage are family pets. My daughter adopted them from local shelters. In the background you will see two cats. These were also adopted by my daughter. She found them as kittens, in car engines. I thought these family animals would make nice additions to my collage. I like seeing them there.
The sky: Pixabay
The horses on the left, and the grass: Pixabay.
I played with the grass a bit until I achieved the effect I was looking for.
The trough also came from Pixabay
Birds, goat and the fourth horse came from Paint 3D.
I enjoyed working with @shaka's picture. It was a place of peace for me, and I hope that comes through. Thank you @shaka for creating and maintaining a community where goodwill and creativity blossom together.
Rules for the LMAC contest may be found at @shaka's blog. The community welcomes everyone. Check out the Discord channel to connect with members, and our school with lessons written by the amazing @quantumg.
Finally, please visit the LMAC community to see other remarkable collages that have been, and will be, created this week.
