Vertical Storytelling - Collage Totems

I had made two of these, one sold right away and I found out when I was up at Woodwalk Gallery dropping off other work that the other one sold too.  With out strong straight lines there are sections that are formed with different collage papers and image transfers. The sewn area like a tree has yellow leaf images and the little tree next to you that I use a lot and the wood Cotton Wood are all image transfers. 

After all the young adults left the home I needed to of course work through those feelings...heck I'm still working through those feelings just not as tough as it was a few years ago.  The words Empty Nest and the next in the top section are both image transfers.  The stick is actually a root from a walk along the shoreline from some plant.  The paper the house is made of was paper I made from a Kraft Brown Bag. 

Oh this was when I think one of our president recently was elected and if felt like dooms day was going to happen upon us all...I worked through some issue a bit of depression I would say and I needed some inspiration to keep going and I got it one morning when the big moth keep coming to the kitchen window where I set in the morning and journal write by candle light.  My answer I was seeking was to turn to the light....and to step back and take a larger view of the whole world.  

Not that my collage sketches are to look just like the final collages, though sometime they are really close.  The collage sketches are a place to sort out ideas and explore them in a safe way.  

I'm excited to be teaching this workshop at Shake Rag Ally very shortly and to see the work of the students. Some new faces and some old...What a blessing!