Keller Family 12 x 12 canvases

The first 12x12 canvas I did in a Chris Cozen http://www.chriscozenartist.com/ class at Stamping Details in Poway http://www.stampingdetails.com/. It is of my Aunt Mary taken in Chicago in the 20's. Aunt Mary was married to my father's brother. I enjoyed doing it so much and have a plethora of Keller family photos from the 20's that I wanted to use. Originally they were huge 3x4 inch negatives. FYI: The only scanner that could handle this size negatives was the Canon.

So, I began to look at other photos. My father and his brother were very close to their parents and extended family. On Sundays, they would leave the heat and swelter of Chicago and go for drives in the country. All the photos I have show meriment. There is a sense of humor as they enjoy the out of doors and their camera. I am so lucky that I have theses good times recorded for posterity.


I first printed out the family (my dad, his brother and wife and Grandma Rosa and Grandpa Herman. I then removed them from the background and filled in where they had been, cropped, manipulated and printed out a transparency of the background. Then, I have all theses wonderful old postcards from that same time period. A lot of them are from Germany were Grandma and Grandpa had emigrated in the 1890's (they met and married here in Chicago). The postcard was wonderful declaring "Familie Keller". Perfect!

Then the last is of my dad and his brother down by Lake Michigan. As always they are in white shirts, ties, hats and cigarette in hand. My dad is on the right and Uncle Elmer is on the left. They are maybe 2 feet from the lake. So, I went searching for a piece of sheet music "By the Sea". Found it! Made a transparency of the cover for the back drop and and used the title for my canvas.

I am working on two more. One is of my daddy and I using a letter he wrote to me when I was in Chicago for one year staying with his relativ es. (another story for another time . . .). I used to travel with my dad or other relatives to Chicago or Texas by train, so there is a train on the canvas also.

I am also working on a surprise canvas for one of my friends. It will be a sad time when I give this to her.

The canvases that I have completed are handing on the doors above my computer desk. There is room for 4 more canvases. So far only one of those 4 is in the making. Perhaps I will do one or two of my natural mom and dad. Not sure. Who can say. . . Ciao for now.