the things we save: working with reclaimed materials

My initial experiences with mixed media used encaustic (wax) on wood panels. As my creative practice evolved, I moved away from encaustic as I found that the final layer of wax often altered the collage in ways that didn't appeal to me. I do appreciate encaustic art, but my interests in obscuring and revealing various elements could be better accomplished with other techniques and layers.

Once I moved past encaustic, a whole new range of materials opened up to me. I started with reclaimed wood, beginning with shingles from my grandfather's 100 year old barn on Miscou Island, New Brunswick.

It was challenging, at first to work with wood that featured knot holes, rusted nails, knots, and crevices. With a smooth wood panel, the story needs more layers. Reclaimed wood tells its own story. It's up to me to recognize and honour that history. As I create, I wonder about the people who shingled the barn or the schoolhouse (another source of wood is a one-room schoolhouse that once existed in Harvey, New Brunswick). There are already layers and stories embedded in the wood when it lands on my studio table.

More recently, I have been working with recycled tins. I place them in a campfire before I begin the process of assemblage. Each tin is transformed from shiny to rustic, with its own unique patina.

This year, I rescued some tarnished brass bowls that could no longer be used safely for food. I loved the challenge of working on a smooth, curved surface, thinking about both inside and outside, and reflecting on what I might keep and what I might cover up.

I can tell by people's reactions that not everyone appreciates the rustic nature of these unique substrates. But I asked my mother what she thought her father would have made of all this tearing of papers, gluing, and painting on the shingles of his barn. She replied without hesitation, "He would have really liked it." And for me, knowing that a fisherman who undoubtedly knew all of the realities of hard work and life on a remote island would have appreciated my collages...well, that's worth more than being represented by a gallery (though that is a good thing too!).

And so I continue to circle back to the key themes of my work ~ memory, loss, impermanence, fragments, story...