At the start of 2025, I emptied a shopping bag I’d been filling since my birthday the previous year—bits and pieces collected throughout the months. I spilled everything onto my kitchen table and started to build what emerged as a series of eight collages. What began as a simple ‘bag of stuff from my birthday’—wrapping paper, cards, messages— transformed, with spontaneous intentions, into thoughtful, layered and expressive artworks, shaped by both memory and fresh inspiration along the way.

This was the first piece in the series. Since my birthday falls in the summer, I named it Summertime Birthday. When I was a kid my Mom made birthday parties for me outside in the backyard, around a picnic table with an umbrella stuck in the middle of it. This piece reminded me of those happy memories. The collage is divided into two areas: the ‘picnic table’ scene on the right and the more open space on the left that evokes the happy energy of a children’s birthday party with games being played in the sunshine and the excitement of getting presents and eating cake. The vibrant color palette reflects this time of innocent joy.

The materials used in this collage are a mix of elements I’ve painted, patterns I’ve created, shapes I’ve drawn and cut out, and found objects like the striped envelope lining. Vivid colors, bold patterns, and playful shapes tell a story of celebration.

Original collage, 14” x 11”, mixed media--including acrylic paint, original printed patterns, and found material, made on 140 lb. 25% cotton cold pressed paper and affixed to a cradled wood panel.

• Giclée prints are printed with archival, pigment inks on Archival Matte Art Paper.

• The frames are handcrafted with 100% wood profiles and made in the USA.
  Acid-free, archival 4-ply matting and backing. Acrylic clear glazing with superior UV protection. Everything required for hanging is included.

• Signed on the front.