Much Loved is a book containing portraits of stuffed animals; beloved pets of children who adored them into gorgeous ruin.

This series serves as a great reminder of meaning and symbolism. The objects I’ve imbued with most significance in my life were never the ones that cost a lot…they were simple treasures. In a culture so drenched in materialism, adults tend to lose sight of the magnificent magic of loving something with no value, save for where it comes from or how it makes us feel.

These remind me of a passage from The Velveteen Rabbit:

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
― Margery Williams

(Jim, that one’s for you, your lovely wife and baby girl!)

Much Loved

Cannot type/talk due to severe illness (all words courtesy of voice software or kind typing helpers)…I read and appreciate all comments…Apologies for not being able to respond.