leave a paper trail

one of my mentors of the calligraphic kind, alf ebsen, taught me that there is nothing original under the sun ... so that if we are inspired and moved to create based on something that we have seen in the world, it is okay to incorporate those ideas and make them our own. alf was someone i adored; he inspired me to become a free lance calligrapher so many years ago. i consider him one of the most important teachers in my artistic life.

which brings me to the place of sharing what can happen when you hold a little match box in your hand and imagine. if you put heart, mind and paper together.

for much of my life, i've been given boxes, little ones, not so little ones. from places i have never visited such as india, poland, italy, england...some made of wood, some made from marbled paper, one is made out of a smooth leather. i love them all; they are my constant friends. little vessels that carry memories, and sometimes a surprise will find its way inside.

the idea of working with match boxes as art intrigued me. my approach to a blank match box: well, you guessed it,  there is no plan , no pattern, no way of explaining or mapping out a how~to manifesto.

i started working with japanese chiyogami papers, collage papers and assorted found objects i have in my studio. depending on the medium, uhu is my glue of choice. easy to apply, and acid free for those who care about such things. if found objects are used, i find it helpful to use weldbond as an adhesive. it holds anything in place.

little match boxes are wonderful to work with, and easy enough to find. people may even start saving them for you which is what happened for me. where to begin?  with no set rules, i like to cover the box completely, and make a little match box disguise. the possibilities are endless. imagine. ways of seeing, ways of knowing, ways of trusting. leave a paper trail.