I'm a very nostalgic person and I'm quite certain that is why I have an affinity for old things that have a rich past and a sense of History. I live in a very old House on a property that was Homestead in the Wild, Wild West at the turn of the Century. My Studio is a converted Carriage House on the property that was turned into a quaint Cottage that my Son now occupies. Working in that Studio is a most enriching environment that nourishes my Soul and creative energy. I'm surrounded there by not only my Vintage and Antique fabrics and found treasures... but the very structure is almost 100 years of resourcefulness and creative genius. You see our entire property was built entirely of salvage materials gleaned by a visionary who built his dream property by hand when there was absolutely nothing else here yet, not even a town. Using imagination, skillful carpentry and Artistic talent, he fashioned some of the structures to resemble an ancient Aztec Temple... almost everything was built from scratch including doors, rock and adobe walls, decorative Artistic elements made of wood or cement... it was obviously a labor of Love. I attempt to mirror that resourcefulness when I create anything in my Art... I admire other Artists that do the same and am apt to collect their work because of the vision seen in their pieces. I enjoy remembering the past while looking ahead to the future. Fond memories flood back when I see photos of my old calico Cat, Peaches, who often sat with me while I worked on my Art or read my design books in the Garden or on the Porch. She has since passed from time into eternity... but I still have the memories. I take photos of work I admire and of work I have done in the past... because it often inspires current projects. Inspiration for me quite often comes from existing beauty, beauty that has endured the test of time and has a rich past... and assists me in creating new beauty, often made of objects with a past life or purpose... and now given a new life and new purpose. We can be a lot like that you know... enduring the test of time and having a past life or purpose... and now being given a new life and a new purpose as we move forward and look ahead... remembering and yet in tune with living in the moment and what lies ahead... It is my Hope that you always find Purpose and look ahead with optimism and Faith, appreciating and remembering the past, yet moving forward constantly with fresh vision... Dawn... The Bohemian
