One of the things I've learned about being "on the move" is that it's always nice to bring pieces of home with you. When we left France in October of 2012, I brought these three collage pieces along with me to hang wherever I was. They've hung in the basement on Elizabeth for a couple of months. They've hung in New Orleans. And now, they'll be hitting the road with me once more. I won't be taking them to France, but I love having them with me as reminders of home and the kind of life that I am able to have there.
I've always loved collage. That first summer at Wendy's in Tour de Faure, I was making butterflies out of pastry paper and putting them in my journal. It was a summer of dancing the ballet to Mozart on butterfly wings. French pastry paper can be works of art all their own."
During the summer of 2005, I went to a show called "Reflections of Moist Triangles",where the artist used regional fruit (mostly strawberries) to paint a variety of pieces. By the summer of 2006, I'd decided that I wanted to try collaging regional fruit, pastry paper, and other items found in the garden and beside the road. Having a source for plums right there at the Chatette made it an easy project. Scouting pastry paper took a little more time and energy, but the rewards were worth it. Over the years, I discovered that pulpy fruits are best...plums, figs, peaches, pumpkins, and black berries in a pinch. Although I began with plums, figs became my favorite. The textures are incredilbe. The other discovery of importance: be sure to seal your plastic wrap as tight as possible over your handiwork...other-wise you end up with fruit cobbler! During the summer of 2008, we even had a collage class for the village at the Chatette. Their artwork dried on the terrace clothes line and then hung during our first vernissage later that summer.
So much fun. So many fond memories. Is it any wonder that I want to carry these three musketeers around with me to remind me of heart, home, peace, and love?
And, the wheels are turning...ways to use these pieces in other projects that Kat and I have been working on together. Patience, if you please!
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