Genealogy Art Doll

Genealogy Doll

My Family- 4 generations

This is the first altered alt project I made in my life. It is also where I met my wonderful friend, artist and teacher, Georgia Lichon. She taught the class in Carlsbad at Geegee's which is a stamp store on State Street. She had taken this class at ArtFest.

It is my most special things I have ever made. It is approximately 4x12 inches. I had never painted before and she started me off using Lumiere Paints for the background. I wanted all the photos that I was going to use for their heads to be proportionate. So, I waited to add them at home when I could work with them in photos shop and choose carefully which head shots I really wanted to represent the female side of my family.

Georgia provided and incredible amount of something I had NEVER heard of: ephemera. I was to come and love this word and all it represents.

Helen

This is my grandmother, Helena Gorszczyk. For my grandma, I was able to find a Statue of Liberty charm in her box of trinkets. She was very religious and Catholic - hence the picture of the Sacred Heart of Mary. She was very intelligent and the first in the Polish neighborhood of Elizabeth, NJ to learn to speak English! She came to America as a young adult. She died when her 10th child was only 5 months old right after my grandfather buying her a washing machine. So sad for all her children.

Irene

The next doll is my natural mother, Irene. She loved to sing and one of her favorite songs to sing was I Left My Heart in San Francisco. There is also a photo of my natural father, Joe Ferrara. My mom was his mistress her entire life, never married and bore him two girls.

Nadine

Next is my mom since I was 9 years old - Nadine. Again, this is the photo of her taken the night before she died out at sea on the Norweigen ship, The Sagafiord. She loved to sew and made a lot of her clothes. She only sewed Vogue patterns. That is actually a piece from her cloth tape measure. The flower pin is a pin I made her in Campfire Girls back in the 50s.

Me, Silly Sal

Next is me and my high school yearbook photo. Plus, I photo of me in 1st grade. There's a skinny photo of me in the suit I bought with Carole in Palmsprings off the rack for Erik's football banquiet that year. Then there is me in my yell leader's outfit from Glendale Jr. College. Lastly is a photo fo the night I met my natural mother for the first time. Thanksgiving evening at my natural sister's home in 1980. This was a poloroid photo and very hard to clean up. I love to play MahJong and I taught piano and organ from when I was 15 years old until my mom, Nadine, died in 1983.

Kari

The last doll is of my daughter Kari Irene La Com. What is so bizarre, is that we named her before I was ever told anything about my natural mom and sister. It turns out, my natural mom's name was Irene. . . An athelete of all sorts including gymnastics, varsity volleyball and water skiing team at USD. What a "cutey patootey" our friend Suzanne would say. We have so much fun together. I am so glad her first home she purchased is only 20 minutes away. She is a character and we said the other day at my son's, that we invite her so that we have some entertainment. Her stories are hilarious!

On the back of each doll I have written their birthday information and a little bit about each person. The ribbon I choose is so feminine. It runs between the two pieces of chip board that Georgia had already cut out for us. I hope you enjoy this genealogy dolll and it provokes you to want to make one of your own!