This spring I’ve been ramping up marketing of my Mountain Montage site and offerings.  While the unusually early, warm summer and my one-year-old in tow have made progress slow, I do want to share the last pieces I finished for a good friend this spring.

Sadly these were memorial pieces for my friend’s son who had an incurable genetic disease called Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS). While Max faced an uphill battle, he faced it with a solid troop of crusaders by his side and often with a smile on his face. His teachers referred to themselves as Max’s Minions and went above and beyond to keep him comfortable, curious and engaged.

It is impossible to imagine the complexity of relationships bound by the finiteness of life until we are a part of them. To me, it takes strength, a positive attitude and probably a decent dose of denial to make it through on a daily basis. Since Max’s peaceful passing he has been deeply missed by his parents, brother and many teachers and friends. Close to a year after his passing, his mother decided that a montage was the perfect way to remember Max in their home.  I couldn’t agree more.

It was difficult for Max’s mother to sit down and go through the photos, but also necessary and healing.  There were so many memories. She printed a ton of pictures that we both went through to try and sum up Max.  In the end, she decided to have two paintings made.  The first celebrated her family and exemplified the brothers and their mother in action. After seeing and loving it, she thought that something similar would be the only appropriate “thank you” to Max’s primary teacher, who worked tirelessly to keep Max at his school and provide him with the care he needed.

The teacher was touched by the memories the painting evoked and after receiving it decided to hang it in her classroom through the end of the year to share with fellow teachers and students.

I envision Mountain Montage providing opportunities for many to see their memories come to life on a variety of subjects – vacations, marriages, reunions, etc. And while I don’t wish every order be a memorial piece, I do think it is a magical way to encompass the vibrancy, complexity, and memories of a person’s life into a single vista.  In creating a memorial montage, I hope to help spread the joy of a life once lived.