Effie Goes on Holiday

Effie Goes on Holiday ©2021. 3.5 x 4 x .75 Collage on watercolor paper, drawing, family photos scanned and printed on Epson SC P-700 printer. When I was a kid we had many family holidays at my grandparents house in Cincinnati. I spent the first year there after I was born while my Dad was overseas during WWII, so it always felt like home to me. At these family gatherings there was an assortment of ladies that seemed very old to me. I had two living great-grandmothers on my mom's side. There was also my Great Aunt Anna and her roommate, Effie. Aunt Anna was an "old maid," Effie lived with her and they were close friends. It wasn't until several years ago, talking to my cousin, that I found out they might have been a couple. It was a moment for me. I had always made this wrong assumption. I posted the two photos of Effie on my blog.

The first half of the front. I only have two photos of Effie. She looks shy and wistful to me. Looking at the photos my mind goes off on a story about this holiday. The woman on the fifth page looks back at her and seems to be thinking something disparaging. Is she thinking Effie's dress is out-of-date? Or does she suspect that Effie and Anna are a couple?

The second half of the book. On the front the border across the top makes a claustrophobic feeling.

The back of the book. I like to have something on the back of accordion books, even if it's just some paint. The top border of scrap papers continues from the front.