Melange Challenge: Illuminating

Our latest Melange Team challenge is the word "illuminating." My art entry for this challenge is a small wood box with a print of a vintage photo of a woman reading and relaxing in a chair. I'm an avid reader myself and believe our books illuminate our minds and change our lives.

On the sides of the box, I added two quotes, one is lighthearted, the second is more thoughtful.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. Dr. Seuss"

"Books let us in to their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own. William Hazlitt."

My box is base painted with blue and green acrylics and overstamped with StazOn inks. I colored the print of the woman with colored pencils and added lace as a border. The quotes were printed on my ink jet printer and gel medium was used as both a glue and sealer. A clear gloss spray varnish was the final coat.

This little box now sits on my sewing table, holding pins and reminding me to take time to relax and read.