Aunt Helen made beautiful shadow boxes with trinkets and keepsake's from my mother's early childhood. These boxes lived on the walls in my parent's home. I love them because they evoke an era long gone by and give me a glimpse into my mother's life as a small child.

 The little soldier, camel and penknife likely belonged to my mother's bother, Uncle Bill.  My painting,
" Willie and Rollin" portrays Uncle Bill and his father, Rollin, my grandfather, when my uncle was
​ just a boy in Salinas, CA

Our family ranch house is adorned with samples of Aunt Helen's cross stitch. One illustrates a poem my mother wrote as a child about her favorite tree.  Another was well known to my generation of children as it hung in our bathroom, reminding us to bathe well, but not to bogart... She made two dolls for my mother and my uncle , and stitched their little faces.  
I am strongly drawn to stitching as a creative outlet and lately I've used images from my paintings a subjects for embroidery and needlepoint.

Aunt Helen always insisted that if one were to do anything, they should do it correctly. This concept she especially applied to creative work. As you can see by the meticulous stitching in her state flower embroidery, the stitching is perfection.  She and I seem to be the only ones in our entire extended family that pursued the art of stitching imagery. 

This Valentine Aunt Helen made in bright, shiny foil.; the note scratched into the foil in the middle of a delicate doily heart, with a tiny scroll to be pulled by that green twine containing another sweet message.  I just love it!