Precious box of memories

Sifting through a box of historical family artifacts, rested beside an aged silk satin wedding gown, Paraparaumu's Lynette Maclean thought back to her childhood brought up in Paraparaumu Beach.

Now a Sevenoaks resident, Lyn, the foster daughter of Paraparaumu Beach's well-known Maclean family, wondered how she would pass on the memories to her children.

"I wanted my sons to have something to remember their history by," said Lyn, who commissioned Raumati South artist Debbie Pointon to bring the remnants of her family tree to life.

Having seen Debbie's intricate box art works at Wellington's recent New Zealand Art Show, Lyn handed over the box.

"When I saw the final piece, it was just like I'd imagined and wanted. I love it."

Debbie, who created the art work on Lyn's old family clock, started with the wedding gown of her aunt Violet Hurren, who played a large role in Lyn's life after she was orphaned at age eight.

"The wedding dress is where it all started for me," said Debbie, whose elaborate vintage piece took three months to create.

"The dress had an enormous amount of beautiful detail and I thought about how to use it to carry on the memories, and decided on a small quilt.

"It includes all the detailed parts of the dress in patchwork, as well as a photo that has been transferred onto the fabric of Vi."

Deeply connected to her family, Lyn was brought up by her father's brother Gilbert Maclean and his wife Joyce Maclean, who passed away in Kapiti last October, at 106 years old.

The new artwork, titled Memories, is set with side wings and three draws, as well as a middle component comprising photographs of each of Lyn's family's weddings.

"It connected with the wedding dress and starts with Annie Howell and Robert Maclean's wedding, before going down to Lyn's birth mother Martha Hurren, then Joyce, and lastly Lyn and her late husband John."

Other items weaved into the work included a saucer, coins, gold brooches, medals and flags, a compartment dedicated to John, and an old amended photo album containing family photos, including Vi in her wedding gown.

"All the items have interelating themes of love stories," Debbie said.