This website is a portfolio of my work in collage and altered art.
( I usually post once a week on Sundays...but no promises. )
All art work is created by me (Unless otherwise indicated)
and I hold the copyrights
Use of my artwork, without my permission, is prohibited.
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.
She loved paint colours, especially the names. When she couldn’t find the exact colours she was looking for, she rolled up her sleeves and made them herself. The best part was choosing the names: pubic meeting, bacon, manitoba, feminism….
The ephemera: nicked paint chips; snippets from a 1901 ledger and paint names from a 1930s dictionary.
Pen to ink, he scribbled late into the night…everyone has at least one novel in them, and he was determined to finish his.
SOLD at the Fall Studio Tour 🙂
Octopus Ink
The ephemera: original Antique dictionary page; orginal vintage map; original antique illustration of ink bottle; high quality reproduction of Natural history illustration of an Octopus.
The trio went their seperate ways headed for a life of adventure. One headed for Paris, the other to the South Seas and the third was roaming the globe. The would meet up again one day, of that you could be sure.
Octupying Paris
Octopus Down Under
World Octopus
The ephemera: Vintage Atlas Maps from the 1940s; high quality reproductions of Natural History illustrations of Cuttle Fish.
Hermione had locked up all her secrets but she could not bear to throw away the key.
Hermione
The ephemera: Original Antique French Document from 1800s; vintage phone printed on one hundred percent cotton photo rag paper.
The found objects: antique key, small vintage padlock; parts from a 1924 antique royal typewriter; tiny vintage automotive light bulb; tiny vintage metal star, vintage cog, vintage washer.
The ephemera: Original vintage ledger page from 1902 and high quality reproduction of antique portrait drawing.
The found objects: antique stop watch; antique royal typewriter parts; antique optical lens; watch parts; antique pen nib; vintage watch vials with tiny rat bones; old fuse, tiny roller.
While he was in the Vicinity he thought he would set Georgia straight!
SOLD to Zabrina 🙂
The ephemera: Original Vintage chart of Georgia Strait; high quality reproduction of a Natural History illustration of a Cuttlefish.
The found objects: antique glass doll eye; Vintage watch casing, movements and various gears; Royal typewriter striking key and other type writer bits.
He had been been Assimilated. He was never alone, no longer individual.
SOLD at the Fall Studio Tour 🙂
Assimilated Owl
A making of video. The process of deciding what and what not to add can be a long one. One fellow assemblage artist refers to it as the audition process. 🙂
What made the cut: printers wooden number 3; clock hand, typewriter bits; watch parts; seed pod; optical lens; catalogue pic of hook; 1868 French School Book page.
They treasured the times passed and celebrated the marks it left on their faces, of lives well-lived. That was the key.
The Nest they had build had emptied but the bones of it remained supported by love.
Many doors had opened and some had closed.
The ephemera: old damaged vintage photos
The found objects: Original vintage or natural : clock case; brass bell; jar lid; door knob; paint tin lid; sprinkler head; gauge; key to the clock; tart tins; crow skull; bird’s nest; quail’s nest.
Note : This cuckoo clock was a gift from a dear friend. It has been in the studio for 4 years, intimidating me…until now. Thanks Darcie.
but your body can help you through it if you will let it.
Altered Clock Case
Arms for reaching out. Heart for slow beats forward and Lungs for remembering to breathe.
Ear for receiving comfort; Mouth for speaking your truth; Eyes for looking forward to a new path.
Bones for Strength; Spine for bending without breaking.
Brain for looking for the gifts that often come with loss.
Loss in its many forms: represented by these beautifully disintegrating vintage photographs.
The ephemera: Original ledger pages from 1917; Complete Notarized document page from 1868; high quality reproductions of antique anatomy illustrations; damaged vintage photos; old encyclopedia pages.
The found objects: antique clock case; old kodak slide boxes; altoid tin; vintage red ten; various other vintage boxes; antique optical lens; vintage toy blocks.
Pigment, glorious pigment… sunny ochre; mud pie umber; depression blue; snake in the grass green; crime crimson; mysterious black; little lie white; plummy purple and orangutan orange. She drifted off into the colour wheel of her mind.
The Trousse
Artist colours
Artist Pigments
Artist Tools
ARTIST COLOUR BOX; An Homage to my Aunt Billy to whom these vials of china paint powder and old tools belonged. She encouraged me to be a creative and independent thinker right from the start…I still miss her after all these years.
The ephemera: Various antique colour charts and map legends; a vintage photo
The found objects: brayer; palette knife, artist brushes; silver spoon, vials of china paint powder; altoid tin ; round box; paiint tin lid; cigar box.
Eustace was jolly glad he had finally reached the epic age of 21 years. I shall set off on a grand world tour! he declared, his upper lip stiffening in the face of parental dissent. He bounded off to pack his case at the last minute and dashed off to the station.
Eustace’s hastily packed case…with all the essentials for a man about town.
Ready for Adventure
THE CONTENTS OF THE CASE
Tickets, Coins, Sponges and Such
Pocket Watch, dice etc…
A Map of Paris tucked under his passport.
World Tour : a homage to my son, who when moving to a new city for work at aged 21 decided to pack his Halloween costume; a large amount of sci-fi books and a huge monkey wrench, among other things, in the one suitcase Air Canada would allow.
The ephemera: Original Vintage: map of Paris; stamps; travel labels; stamps; snippets of letters; post card; transport tickets; luggage tags …
The found objects: vintage : dice; jeton; pope key ring; stop watch; tin tiny vial; sponge box; buttons; ladies garter buckle; bullet case; coin; silk thread; copper nail; key; locker tag; pen nib; pad lock ; measuring tape and cigar box
With every move he makes, another chance he takes.
Odds are he won’t live to see tomorrow.
Secret Agent Man, Secret Agent Man,
They’ve given you a number, and taken away your name.
Johnny Rivers
Listen to Song while perusing the pics! Much more fun that way. 🙂
Johnny River altered cigar box
Secret Agent Man’s Attaché Case
Inextricably!
Nothing could save 006!
Secret Papers: boarding pass , tickets, micro film, target and blue prints.
Falsified Passport
Tools of the Trade: bullet; lock picking tool, skeleton key; tailsman; quick acting poison; spy light; radio tube. ( thanks to Q)
Enemy Agent disguised as creepy child.
SECRET AGENT MAN 0ne of my most favourite pieces to work on so far.! I have always wanted to be a spy…but now I can’t get the song out of my head. And what’s with that weird photo?…so creepy!
The ephemera: : Original: vintage photo; various tickets and passes; old slide frames; map and plan snippets; vocabulary card, postcard; war coupons and more
The found objects: vintage : cigar box; radio tube; chess piece; tiny light bulb; bullet casing; rusted nail; optical lens; luggage tag; old film negative; vial of mystery powder; game pieces
Island life is much more laid back, they all agreed…you can hitch a ride to the harbour; hang-out with your peeps; chill out on the beach.., they would never dream of moving to the city.
SOLD 🙂 at the Maritime Centre Show.
Seagull on top
The ephemera: Original vintage West Coast Marine Chart; vintage stamp from Poland of course; high quality reproductions of Natural History illustrations of sea creatures.
Call me Ishmael…or anything else you want to as long as I get to see whales he said.
Whales Ahoy by creartfuldodger (c)
The ephemera: origina vintage chart of the West Coast of Canada; original vintage stamp and registered mail sticker ; high quality reproductions of antique natural history illustrations of whales.
They synchronized their swimming on porpoise so as to arrive in unison. They were carefully stacked like sardines but of course they were not sardines at all. Porpoise Harbour had never seen such a spectacle.
The ephemera: Vintage Canadian Marine Chart; vintage stamp, natural history illustrations of fish
