Go West, Young Man!

Hello everyone... 2015 is already flying!  It's time for a new challenge at A Vintage Journey, and our lovely host S@ndy would like us all to Use A Portrait.

Check out the challenge details, the fantastic inspiration from my team-mates, as well as our Travelling Instructions and you could be in with a chance at the prize voucher, generously sponsored by Country View Crafts.

Here's my offering for you... a panel commemorating this bold young man and his ambitious journey westwards in search of fame and fortune.

I think he probably started out on this side of the Atlantic, and headed off in search of the promise of a new life and new hope in the Americas.

Thankfully, one can achieve the journey in a few short hours these days.  I can only imagine what it was like to travel for weeks and months, uncertain of your fate, not knowing what awaited if you were lucky enough to cross the ocean safely.



But there's determination as well as trepidation in those eyes... I like to think he made it, and made something of himself once he got there too.





I went on a bit of a journey myself on this project, started several different possibilities, and eventually landed up with one of my much-loved papier-mache icons.

Even this had a false start, and I ended up covering it all up with heavy gesso and starting again.  As a result the stencilled crackle and weathered paint has a real depth to it - with genuine wear and tear!












Of course, most of the front of the panel is now completely covered, so it's just as well I did my usual thing of letting the stencilled crackle spill over the sides too...












I used one of the Idea-ology Found Relatives to create my character...













... and have surrounded him with memorabilia and ephemera, mostly culled from the Expedition Ephemera pack.










The red accents on some of those ephemera encouraged me to head for the reds with my Cash Key Charm...













... and it's also echoed in this tiny Punch label in my Custom Fastener - punched through his travel ticket of course.












I can rarely resist a Word Band - this one seemed to fit the bill - and the Number Brad tells us his tender age when setting out on the adventure.  What else is a younger son to do?











I love these File Tabs, and always forget to use them. (Is that subconsciously a way to keep hoarding them, I wonder... Well, my resolution to use stash rather than hoard it won't allow for any more of that!)











The ChitChat stickers reveal the yearnings in his heart.












I added some cogs and gears, for the mechanical means of transportation - we know from the ticket that the Iron Horse was involved - which are taking this young man westward, ever westward.










I hope he found his way, and I hope you find your way to join us on A Vintage Journey this fortnight and Use A Portrait.  There's lots more inspiration from my wonderful team-mates, so don't miss that.  See you there!

Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country.
Usually attributed to either Horace Greeley or John B. Soule - there seems to be some dispute!