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"I got started as an artist rather unconventionally. Sure, I always liked art, visited galleries, museums, exhibits, bought and sold prints- but never, ever made art. Then, in my early fifties, I saw some collages that took my breath away, and I said to myself "I have to try that!" Collage quickly became an obsession; I attended one collage exhibit seven times. I made at least one collage a week for several years, and I found my voice as they say, using old hardback books, which satisfied my fascination with history, words, and time itself.
"Lance Letscher, whom I consider a master of the collage technique, encouraged me to sell my work. Malou Flato, who was the first person to buy one of my works, was also very encouraging. Bill Davis here in Austin has been supportive ever since I brought in one of my first pieces to be framed and got acquainted with his wonderful gallery. The newest gallery to showcase my work is Art Gallery Prudencia in San Antonio.
"I tend to get an idea completely formed in my head, cut the pieces for it, lay it out and paste it up. Depending upon the project, some parts of the process take much longer than others. But generally, and probably surprisingly, the laying out of the design is the fastest part; cutting the pieces takes the most time (and I have the callouses to prove it). Finally, the pasting- even for a small piece- can take many, many hours; some of my larger works have over a thousand pieces.
"If I weren't an artist, and had a choice, I'd probably be a historian of some sort. My other love is genealogy. Old books and their patina of age and use bring to mind the many people who owned them. I like to Google the addresses written in books that are 100+ years old and see where these people lived- if even the houses are still standing. Even if I can't meet the books owners, I can try to get to know them through the books they owned. My collages are from the heart- an elegy to times gone by and a tribute to the writers and book binders and readers of long ago." |
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