WW1 Sawdust Hearts Project-The Idea and Art Work

It's finally finished. This is the secret piece that has kept me busy for the whole of July. A piece I feel very emotional about, and one that truly captured my heart. 

This is my contribution to the Untangled Threads Sawdust Hearts Project. My piece will form part of the Sawdust and Calico Heart Exhibition at Woodend Scarborough from the 3rd to the 30th of November 2018. This is a commemorative exhibition and public event to be held on the centenary of Armistice Day 2018. My heart is one of 1568 handcrafted hearts commemorating 100 years since the armistice. It represents day 218 of the 1568 days of the war; the date the 2nd of March 1915. On this day the British Battleship HMS Canopus joined in the assault missions on the Dardanelles.

The History of the Sawdust Heart

"During WW1 thousands of commercially produced kits were made and distributed to soldiers and civilians.  The hearts were pre-stuffed (with sawdust) ready to be decorated.  The kit contained a template-cut cardboard box, which was ideal for holding collected fabrics, beads, pins and sequins.

The therapeutic effect a wounded soldier gained by making and sending one of these sawdust hearts was immense, and indeed the practice of Occupational Therapy in the UK can be traced back to this time in history.

5% of the proceeds from the sales related to this project will be donated to Combatstress, a charity which supports former servicemen and women to deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression and PTSD."
                (source: Untangled Threads Sawdust Hearts project 2018 leaflet by Helen Birmingham)

  
Some information about my piece:

Title: Hope Soars on the Wings of a Lark.

Medium: Acrylic Paint on Canvas with black embroidery silk. The piece is adorned with beads and pins.

Inspiration:The vivid red colour used in my piece forms the memory of how I imagined the poet's world looked on hearing the words to Wilfred Owen's poem Dulce et Decorum Est, at the age of 14. A piece I studied in English and one that I can still recite to this day.

The bird depicted in my piece comes from the poem by the English poet George Meredith, and the piece composed by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams; The Lark Ascending, this piece is often interpreted as a piece about the war.
 

 

This piece is dedicated to my Great Grandfather William Rae (1888-1951). He served as a fireman for the Merchant Navy aboard the SS Lady Salisbury.

P.S. the embroidery and beadwork can be found on my sewing blog Made by Sun Rae .