One of the many callings I have in my church is as a Family History Consultant. I really love to research geneaology and to also help others locate family members so that they can add them to their Family History books. It is one of the ways in which I can unwind and relax and has become a very rewarding hobby.
Today on the way to church, I shared an idea that came to my mind earlier in the day with my husband. I thought it would be neat to create a large wall mural of our family tree. I thought it would be a great idea for either my husband or I to paint one on canvas or even a friend of ours in Utah to be commissioned to do the job( who is a much better muralist then either of us). Having the mural painted on canvas would also enable us to take it with us as a keepsake, rather then risk having to leave it, or having to cover it with paint later down the road. My thought was to have individual close up pictures taken and painted in "frames".
Whenever I get ideas, I run to my computer and start researching out the possiblities. Wouldn't you know it....I'm not the only one who came up with this brilliant idea. :) I'm not one to complain though, it just means I can learn from other artists and gather some more tips and photos from their projects.
At the very top of this blog post is a photo taken of an artist who is attempting at doing the same thing. She hasn't quite finished her project but I am anxious to see the end result. Her blog address is on the photo.
My mom will get a kick out of this, because she is a huge Harry Potter fan, but I was able to find this picture on the internet of the Sirius Black Family Tree. This took up the whole backdrop, but it sure looks cool with the blue/green background and the white tree winding across the wall.
The photo below is another alternative for a family tree. I found this really interesting website where an artist transforms your family line into art. It isn't a large mural, but she does some beautiful work in watercolor, so if you don't have the space or patience to use up a whole wall for a large piece of canvas, or to paint directly onto the wall, this smaller framed option is a beautiful alternative. You can get this art done at http://www.fmlytree.com/index.php
Last but not least, family history trees aren't limited to being rendered solely on canvas, it can be done in other mediums as well. I ran across an article on how to create Heirloom Photo Ornaments. These ornaments are fabulous, and in my opinion you could display them all year round and have a living family tree. It doesn't have to be Christmas to display ornaments especially when they have pictures of your ancestors on them.
Check out
http://genealogy.about.com/cs/holidays/p/ornament.htm
The example above is of a family tree that I found online awhile ago, and I apoligize for not knowing the source. However, this is also an example of how you can combine your parents family lines. On the left you could have one for your father and on the right your mother. Each leaf would have the name and dates appropriate to your ancestor or living family member.
I will continue my search for more inspiration on creating my own family tree, but in the meantime if anyone has any cute ideas send them my way!
-Janele
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