If we've learned anything over the last two years, it is that not everything stays the same…seasons come and go, children grow up, neighborhoods change, another year passes by. What you once thought to be set in cement is shifting sand the next day. Not all change is worrisome nor problematic…how would we ever enjoy butterflies without the metamorphous of the caterpillar.

And so it is with art…I’ve been revisiting a couple of collage compositions and imagining how they could be different and possibly, better. Initially the thought of tearing a piece apart seemed sacrilegious in a way…it was created with a certain idea in mind…but obviously no one connected with that idea since the piece was still sitting in my studio, collecting dust.

Here’s an example of one collage…it started as a 9” x 18” mixed media piece with a paper collage embellished with a few found objects. As I disassembled it, some papers were lost in the process (a downside of using vintage materials…usually a little fragile!) I decided to hone in on the central images for the focus of the new piece. I scaled it down to a 8” square and mounted the remaining paper collage to a birch cradle board.

I still incorporated the old house key but added a smaller version of the metal 6 house number…I considered other numbers but somehow 6 just seemed right.

Another old photo of a small family sitting on the outside steps of a home seemed to complete the story… not even houses remain the same but are often remodeled to meet changing needs.

Of course, it only seems logical that such a process of revisiting/revising/refreshing what once was and turning it into what might be, applies to each of us. The possibilities of the end result is up to you.