This website is a portfolio of my work in collage and altered art. ( I usually post once a week on Sundays...but no promises. )
I see beauty in everyday objects from the past and like to re-purpose them in artful ways in my pieces. A trio of old door knobs, well worn from all that opening and shutting, the patina is perfect.An ordinary document, for the sale of a parcel of land, so beautifully written, on parchment paper.
They were nesting, buying plants, painting old furniture to make it new again, setting up the kitchen and decorating the apartment with a combination of his and hers. Young love blossoming and solidifying in the give and take of your’s and mine, becoming ours.
The nesting box
The lid
The love nests
The ephemera: old love letters and papers from 1800’s France; natural history plate of bird’s eggs.
The found objects: vintage tart tins; tiny pewter hearts; paper wasp’s nest; small bird’s nests; various feathers; seed pod; antique porcelain doll arms; moth cocoon; vintage anagram letters; antique cigar box with labels.
The studio tour was a great success with 21 sales, 1 commission and my workshops fully booked. Thanks to everyone who came out. 😊😊
Studio tour on this weekend.
For the first time, I am opening my studio to the public, as part of Visions Artists Studio Tour and Art Sale. There are 27 artists showing at 19 studios in this free open house tour.
Come out and support the Arts in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.
Visit the website for more information and map.
Rainy day, nursery games. Banished to the nursery, the sisters had oodles of time to play games. Unbeknown to the parents, poker was fast becoming a favourite when nanny was on her tea break.
The ephemera: vintage bingo card, various bits of vintage paper, high quality reproduction of vintage photo of young girls.
The found objects: clay poker chip, vintage lotto game piece.
I recently found a beautiful library card, with due date stamps from the 40’s inside an old book entitled Friend of Marie Antoinette. I could not resist imagining some friends for the beleaguered Marie. So voilà my new favourite book mark has come to be.
Front side: Get thee to a nunnery Marie. Back side: Marie and her friends were all in time out for not sharing.
The ephemera: Original 1940’s library card, fiscal marks from old French documents, high quality reproductions of vintage photos on 100% rag paper.
He had read all the rules, and according to Hoyle, he had played his cards right.
So why was he still playing the field? Why was still going home alone every night?
He looked like an angel with his colours so bright.
I guess he had just not got the point of the game quite right.
SOLD ( at Bound to be Different)
The ephemera: Torn Spine from Card Game Rules By Hoyle; original French legal document from 1800’s; original vintage book page on design and drafting; high quality copy of natural history image of an angel fish.
Size: small 5 inches square on wooden block
Yeah, you know I’m all about that bass, ’bout that bass, no treble!
All about that bass, ’bout that base no treble (X 2)
Yeah, it’s pretty clear, I got more arms than two
But I can swim, swim, like I’m supposed to do
I’ve got that boom, boom that all the fish chase
All the right tentacles in all the right places!
Sorry for the poor parody Meghan Trainor
SOLD 🙂
the ephemera: vintage music card; antique French document from 1840; antique paper; high quality copy of natural history illustration of an octopus.
size: small 5 inches square
He battled a steady stream of barbed words. Navigating this river of miscommunication was not going to be easy.
SOLD 🙂
The ephemera: hand made paper; old book page; original French document from 1890; high quality copy of natural history illustration of a snapper.
Size: 5 inches square on wooden block
‘What a fine fellow you are little blue bird,’ she whispered. Flattered by her words, he decided to stay for a while.
The ephemera: Original French document 1879; high quality copy of natural history illustration of a blue bird.
Size: 5 inches square
Perché sur le pavé, il est parfait, ce pigeon de Paris.
The ephemera: hand made paper from 1899 ledger; original French document 1879; original vintage mail sticker; high quality reproduction of natural history image of pigeon
Size : small 5 inches square
Head out on the highway, looking for adventure
and whatever comes her way…
yeah darling gone make it happen,
take the world in your loving embrace…
Born to be wild.
-Steppenwolf
The ephemera: Natural history image of chicken, Mississippi flood plain map, vintage French letter, image of vintage bicycle, bird’s nest illustration.
Mixed collage Size 7 inches square
SOLD
He was off on his own Tour de France. He would camp on the banks of the canals and eat fromage and chocolat, savouring every minute.
The ephemera: Vintage map of France; old image of bicycle; vintage bird cage image, natural history image of crow; antique French legal document.
Mixed collage: digital and traditional
SOLD
What came first the owl or the egg?
Well it depends on which direction you are travelling.
The ephemera: vintage letter from 1822; image of vintage bicycle; reproduction of antique map of japan; reproduction of natural history illustration of an owl, vintage image of a bird’s egg, vintage French stamp.
Size: 7 inches square
SOLD
“Hurray, road trip!” she exclaimed, “I’ve got the map, I shoddy the front seat”.
“Hold on,” he replied “curb your enthusiasm, so we get there in one piece” as he applied the breaks.
Inspired by a recent holiday with the mister. This is how it goes down for us.
The ephemera : Ledger page for 1901; map of Scandinavia 1933; photo of tree in winter; vintage bicycle image; two pictures of ravens. Encaustic wax top layer.
Size: 12 inches square on wooden cradle.
Death in the Clouds. Madame Giselle, a famous French money lender, is found dead in her seat on a flight from Paris to Croydon. Was it a wasp sting, that proved fatal or something more sinister at play?
Agatha Christie
The ephemera: Vintage church registry from Halifax; old mugshot; vintage aviation photo; vintage airmail sticker, natural history illustration of bees
Size : 5 inches square on wooden block
Auburn-haired, sun-bronzed, Arlena Marshall lay on the beach, dead. So many people could have killed her. Any one of them had, or thought they had reason to kill her. That was the day we spoke of evil, evil under the sun. Enter Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells.
Agatha Christie
The ephemera: vintage dictionary page , vintage photo reproduction, snippet from vintage map, vintage registered mail sticker, vintage poison label, vintage game piece.
Size: 5 inches square on wooden block
Elle s’est suicidée, c’est une de ces saletés de lettres anonymes!
On peut dire qu’on l’y a forcée à l’aide de cette plume empoisonnée.
Arrive l’intrépide Miss Marple.
Agatha Christie
The ephemera: vintage atlas map 1933; vintage poison labels, reproduction of vintage mugshot, vintage game piece.
One week ago I had the honour to be featured on Word Press Discover. This has led to a sudden leap in new followers. I would like to thank you all for visiting, following and liking my work. I appreciate all the positiveness.
I am off to the tropics for a couple of weeks and will be off the grid.
W.
Flying in the face of convention she floated off to Australia.
Flora furtively flitted among the flowers and ferns down under.
Flora’s “idée fixe” was finding the perfect specimen for her fine collection.
Assemblage or Shadow Box.
Flora’s treasures.
Flora and her tools of the trade.
The ephemera: antique French document from 1889; reproduction of antique mugshot, defunct Canadian Passport, tiny vintage envelope, snippet from a vintage dictionary page, vintage map from 1921, antique graph from French school book 1848.
The found objects: antique wire eye glasses frame, vintage slide ruler, antique metal pin, dried poppy seed head, wasps nest, antique microscope slides, antique nail silk thread, vintage tart tin, amber with insect bits, antique optical lens, a bit of mica, vintage vial with watch parts, teeny tiny coconut, seed pods from Costa Rica, dried carnation found in 1925 dictionary, flicker feather, small vintage boxes and a vintage cigar box.
Size 9 by 18 when box is open.
The Game is afoot he shouted, and they were off, in a race against time, to solve the crime.
SOLD (at Visions Artists Studio Tour)
The ephemera: reproductions of hot air balloon Caen France, anatomy photo of lion’s leg bone, clock face, original snippet of a love letter from the 1800s.
Size: 7 inches square on wooden block
Spies in disguise
They fired up the zeppelin.
They donned their disguise.
They readied the camera.
Their mission … was classified.
The ephemera: reproductions of :camera patent, registry page, vintage photo of a zeppelin.
The found objects: vintage typewriter key, an old tag.
Size: 7 inches square on wooden blocks
He saw the first signs of spring and was wistful.
If only winter would be 3 1/2 weeks longer, he sighed.
The ephemera: French legal document 1869; vintage stamps, old map of Ontario, Canada; photo of tree in winter; high quality copy of black bird illustration; label from a tool drawer.
The methods: gel medium reverse transfer; encaustic wax.
Size: 7 inches square on wooden block
There were a million reasons to stay for the winter but still he hankered for the south with it’s warmth and sunshine. He left a quick note and was off, just like that, decision made. 
The ephemera: antique French letter from 1800s; Map from 1921 atlas, old label from tool chest, vintage stamps and high quality copy of natural history illustration of a raven.
Size: 7 inches square, encaustic wax on wooden block.
Slim pickings for the Winter Crow.
Yet the desolate landscape suited him so.
SOLD (at Bound to Be Different)
The ephemera: original atlas map 1930s; original French legal document 1889; photo of trees in winter; photo of crow. Top layer encaustic wax.
Size: 7 inches square on wooden block.
Ils partent à la recherche d’une meilleure vie.
Le pas lourd, ils s’en vont, le regard fixé vers le futur.
The ephemera: old map of Ontario, Canada; high quality reproduction of Natural history illustration of a crow.
Size: 12 by 20 inches on wooden block
Un Cadeau pour Louise.
