Current work

It all started some weeks ago with discovering a how-to of making shishas.

(you can read more about them here)

Since we do not have much possibilities to buy this kind of materials on the island, I started to look at what I could use for the big mirrors instead. Scarcety can be good for creativity...

Instead of the large sequins I now use the bottom of peanut cans, the Pl-brand that is. I draw tiny circles with a small Antillean coin and cut them with an old pair of scissors. To make them less sharp, I sand the sides et voila: mirrors!!

The cushion above is one of my first completed works and boy do I love it!

I can not show it in full, because it might be a Christmas gift or something for sale at Art in the Park next February, don't know yet...

detail of another cushion, cotton and silk, rather earthy colours, machine applique and hand worked sishas. This work is not finished yet, some 20 more shishas to go...

detail of a more contemporary panel, inspired by one of the 'bols' at this site,
ready to be made into a wall hanging

On another note: we are approaching the end of the 2010 hurricane season and I am glad that we only had Earl passing the island. I cannot even imagine the damage a category 4 or 5 hurricane might cause, seeing what already this one did to infrastructure and houses.

Another reason to be very thankful!
And now we have winds again, and cloudy and greyish weather some days, that are good for getting back my energy and inspiration!

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday,
thank you for visiting today!
Regina

The ocean today

Yesterday night I had my yoga lesson at this beach and lost something, so I went back this morning and yes, it was there, lucky me! And because the ocean is wild these days, I had brought my camera and made this little movie. Despite the noise in the mic, you get an idea of the rough waters, the beauty also, enjoy!

Regina

Working

on this, now ready for the next step

feeling full of energy and inspiration...

more after the weekend, so please keep coming back and in the meantime:

have a great weekend!

Regina

Our island

today I had to drive my car a lot and because of the congested roads there was plenty room for making pics ;-)

view on our neigbouring islands St. Eustatius and St. Kitts, seen from the 'over the hill road', the image is clickable

one of the many, many little restaurants (it is said we have over 350 restaurants on the island). It may not look very fancy, but everything looks better when the evening has come and the red lights along the roof will give the business a cozy feeling...

What to say?
Infrastructure is a big problem on our little and I dare say even poor island,
it is all about priority I guess

idem dito. Everyday reality, everyday nuisance, but always colourful, that is Sint Maarten, today, ever...

A true discovery!

The Wednesdays in my life are for exploration

Exploration of the island, of silent beaches and roughish trails, of unknown places that still can be found today; they are not known to the general public and there is no or hardly writing about them in tourist brochures either...

Some examples can be read about here and here

Will you come and explore with me today?

some time ago, when the weather was not too sunny and a day at the beach did not feel attractive to us, my friend A. and I decided to find the place that we had heard of...

we had to take a mud road that had a sign: prohibited, for residents only etc. At the end of this road we came at the above place, it is on the island's (French) west coast.

Remnants of what once must have been a big building, a resort we found out later; the image is clickable and you can see Marigot in the distance, the green hill in the middle left is Point Bluff, a point of St. Martin that sits in the Caribbean sea and can only be reached by crossing the ruins of the building, plus by sea of course

the place we were looking for had to be somewhat to the left, it is hidden from direct view and once again you have to cross some rocks by foot

but it is worth the effort, for there it was, finally, Devil's Hole!

I fell silent when seeing this, a treasure of light, of structure and natural beauty

and in my fantasy I could see other explorers, fishermen and adventurers, bringing ashore stuff that better be hid from the daylight... in ancient times when the seas of this splendid Caribbean had a different meaning than it has today in the age of tourism

Thanks for joining me on my exploration,

Regina

While I am exploring

the beauty and possibilities of making shishas, turning them in newly, adapted to my style, artwork, I want to show one of my latest collages in the Discovery series

Exploring the seas
original collage, 5 x 7"
recycled magazine papers on cardboard

Have a great Wednesday!
Regina

Experimenting

and playing with my favorite photo editing program, browsing through plenty of pictures of old and recently finished work. Experimenting with fabrics, old linen and velvet, gold and thread. Nothing to show yet on this very rainy day in the Caribbean. Perfect weather to stay inside an enjoy and cherish my freedom, being grateful

Little circles

keep playing an important role in my work.

In the shisha's that will find their way in an embroidered throw cushion (India style), in a painting I recently did...

It has been a good week; a week of variation, of moving between helping other people and all kind of activities, good for everything but for my art. I find it difficult to focus at the moment, with so many things going on. The tropical weather has been a constant item with all the rain that has been falling. Helping out a friend that is without a sewing machine while she has to finish a piece for an exhibition in December. All this keeps me sidetracked, but I hope to get back on track the next week.

Have a great Sunday!