My First Collage

I've been an artist most of my life, but didn't start painting until I began working at Jerry's Artarama in 2000. I found myself surrounded with new tools, talent and the urge to create hit me almost every day. My most influential artist in the beginning was Ann Baldwin. I had seen her work on her Web site and it definitely spoke to me. The colors, the content and the process. I flew to Pasadena for one of her workshops and then I really knew I had finally found a way to express myself and my desire to collage and paint had just begun. I learned new ways to incorporate all of those photos I had been both taking and collecting over the years into a canvas painting that told a story. The first collage I did was of my mom. I love my mom. She passed away in 1998 and there is not a day that passes that I don't miss her or think of her or laugh or get a big grin on my face because of her. Now I know how much she knew. She was just a delightful woman! She never insisted on you learning from her, but she always knew that you had to learn things in your own time. I think she enjoyed just sitting back and watching the revolation and cheering you on as you moved to the next level. She was such a kind soul, but a rascal too. She loved life and loved to laugh. She loved my dad with all of her being and when he died early on at the age of 55, we all thought my mom was going to fall apart. That was in 1981. Well instead, my mom all of a sudden blossomed into this butterfly. Actually, I really think she just took the back seat while my dad was alive to support him in his dreams and career. Smart woman. So anyway, the first collage I did was of my mom. I have this great picture of her as a very young girl. like maybe 5 or so with her doll, I had wedding photos of my parents, I incorporated music in there too, because I remember as a kid music being a big part of our lives. This painting is a result of new techniques I learned in Ann Baldwin's workshop.