As in my poetry, in my collage art I like to bring in natural elements, using nature as an extension of or companion to human nature. I feel that these pieces of the earth can serve as metaphors or symbols for the man-made elements of our lives. I love working with handmade and other decorative papers for their disparate impacts on a piece in terms of design/structure and color. The textures in some papers add a tactile sense as a base for the three-dimensional objects in a piece. And, bringing in found objects and other items of specific significance adds another dimension that helps to create the whole ‘story’ of a piece.

“Yes, Jesus Loves Her” is a tribute to my Aunt Jean. In this work I’ve tried to capture many of the wonderful attributes of her personality and being. For the paper base, I chose a merging of an antique wall-paper look, alongside ragged-edge pieces of handmade papers that incorporate fragments of flower petals and leaves. In this, I hoped to express my aunt’s proper traditional side juxtaposed with her intense appreciation for the vagaries of wildlife and other elements of nature. The old button is an additional nod to quaint times of the past. The spiritual lyrics—which are especially meaningful because these words were sung to her as she rested peacefully in her final hours—and the cross represent her strong faith. The white ribbon is from the bouquet of carnations given to mourners to place on her casket before burial. The dried twigs and buds were gathered from both funeral flower arrangements and the ground around her burial site. In particular, I liked the spiky weed (on left, over music score) as a representation of the ‘thorns among the roses’ that propagate our lives. In addition to capturing Aunt Jean’s spirituality and love of nature, I intended to present a bit of her whimsical side with the brightly colored tiny plastic flowers and the playing card—the Queen of Hearts—which has added significance as she would sometimes be referred to, lovingly and respectfully, as the queen of the family. Finally, the slim strand of pearls running through it all adds a bit of elegance, signifying how she lived her life with class—a dignified grace that enriched her fun-loving persona, her compassionate nature and the nurturing love she showered on those close to her.

This mixed-media piece is mounted on foam board and comprises paper, natural elements and found/gathered objects, coated with an archival matte acrylic medium. Presented in glass-enclosed shadow-box frame.