Mixed Emotions - Photoshop Elements 9

I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don't have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.

Virginia Woolf

On a junking jaunt to Fort Larned, Kansas I found an old cardboard box in the back room of an antique shop sitting in a chair filled with shabby discarded dolls.  As I knelt down to lift each doll carefully from the box, I was drawn to their eyes and plastic faces that seemed...a bit haunting...a bit creepy...and a frankly sweet.

I purchased the cardboard box of outcast dolls for $12.00 and brought them home to the my studio where they sat not unlike in the antique shop...just quietly waiting.

As I was organizing one afternoon, I again lifted the dolls carefully from the box and I had the inspiration to photograph each  of the doll's faces.

Again, the photographed doll's remained in my computer's hard drive until again one afternoon while organizing some of the photos...those faces appeared once more.

Again in another inspirational moment, I loaded each photo into Photoshop Elements and began to blend the faces together to create one unified face ... I call the result.... Mixed Emotions.

I used Kim Klassen textures and a vintage handwriting texture of my own.  If you haven't discovered Kim Klassen's textures you are in for a treat and I encourage you to explore her lovely website.

I hope this email finds you creating something you love.

Blessings my Friends,  Julie