Gardner
Family Tree - 2002
Shippert-Young
Family Tree - 2003
Don't
let the small graphics fool you, for both of these family
tree designs were 36" x 36" unframed (42" x 42" framed with
double matting).
The paper used was 300 lb. Arches Coldpress Watercolor
paper, a sturdy paper that maintains the viviidness of
applied pigments and holds up well to corrective measures
such as erasing and scraping. It also is a dense paper that
doesn't warp readily with climatic (humidity) fluctuations.
Being Arches, it also possesses a high archival quality
with its rag content so that it won't yellow or deteriorate
over time and exposure. The only minor drawback is its
tooth... great for watercolor and pastel illustration, a
little harder to create fluid lettering without the ink
skipping over the roughness (a heavier pressure is needed
to result in solid, consistent letter strokes).
* * * * *
Hunt-Harry
Family Tree - 1999
In the
Hunt-Harry family tree shown above, the client wanted
several design elements included in this gift for his
parents on their anniversary. The literal family tree
featured had to be a dogwood; irises were to be coupled
with the parents’ names at the trunk-level of the tree, and
the parents’ parents had to be labelled below ground
level... this would be indicative of both sets being
deceased and representative as the strong “roots” of the
family. The children and grandchildren were to be included
in the leafy branches of the tree.
* * * * *
Many of my clients prefer to use symbols and unusual
graphic treatments within their trees to indicate various
situations such as divorce, birth of twins, unknown
parentage, and genealogical record tidbits (such as
passport info). I maintain that one should be able to trace
a family tree from a distance without too much confusion
and with the help of these visual clues. I'll often
indicate marriage with joined rings (divorce being
separated rings), twins are indicated with the writing's
baseline at a slant, country of origin is represented by
flag icons, military careers are represented through
illustrations of bars, ribbons and medals, and passport
information is set inside bordered boxes so as not to blend
in with the rest of the information given.
Center graphics can vary from a standard branched tree
illustration, to a favorite flower or tree, to photographs
and portraits, to other meaningful drawings of specific
familial sentiment (depictions of coats of arms, houses,
farm properties, and maps, for example).
The overall shapes of the tree chart itself can be square
(as seen in these samples), circular (for smaller trees
that only contain info on a set of parents and their
children), or scroll or accordion bookform (for larger
trees that go back four or more generations).
It usually takes me nine months to a year and a half to
complete the more complex, generational family trees. I
often will frame them myself, as well. There are times it
takes me longer to accomplish a tree because the client
sometimes needs help in researching in order to fill in the
gaps. I sometimes offer to assist them in this matter. It
is essential to have working knowlege of what is available
through online resources as well as physical standards of
information (such as Ellis Island, various churches and
temples, genealogical books, bibles, marriage and death
certificates, cemeteries, town histories, and reunion
records).