Back at digital...

Segou

digital collage

After I read one of the Segou books by author Maryse Conde, I made this digital collage. I think it reflects the buildings in the African villages she describes!

The collage consists of three pictures layered on top of each other. The basis is a picture I once found on the internet, sorry I cannot remember the source, then comes a picture of one of my African fabrics, they came out grey and finally some coral,which gives the dots below left.

As always: thanks for visiting!

Regina

Art in the Park (2)

One more time these drumming kids!

I loved their 'uniform', their drumbandleader is an artist too

my system for hanging the collages worked fine, despite the strong winds nothing blew off

Oh la la...
Elegance, from France, Italy, Brazil?

The public at this happening amazes me,
Every year I see people I never ever see when going out or driving around on the island.
Am I looking in the wrong places?

colourful paintings
washlines are favorite at this setting, since the simple boots
don't have walls or any other provision to hang stuff.
It adds to the relaxed atmosphere I think...

one of the painters

Now this annual event is over, I have returned to working with fabrics.
More about that next time, so do come back please.
Thanks for visiting!

Nested in...

The Lowlands of St. Martin

original collage

recycled tourist brochure

sxm series #4

In case you wonder about the name of this collage, I will try to explain.

Once the collage was almost done, I stamped the two lizzards with acrylic bronze paint. They seemed appropriate to me with regard to the color of the images at first, and afterwards I paid more attention to the text that reads (click) ' Nested in the Lowlands of St. Maarten'. The lowlands is a beautyful part of the island that is situated mostly on the French part (Terres Basses) and yes, like everywhere else on the island, these lizzards might have nested there, as there seems to be an abundance of these useful creatures here. The atmosphere of the collage resembles our Lowlands somewhat, so there everything comes together: that is one thing I find so very intriguing of making collages.

Thanks for coming by today!

Regina

# 3

Voile

original collage

SXM series #3

Just a Friday

Lazing On A Sunny Afternoon...

original collage

SXM series 2

This is one of the collages I made last week. I realized that I really should make some island related collages too, and because this promises to be a wonderful Friday (don't know why, it just feels that way!) I chose to show you this reddish work: it makes me happy, and curious what comes next...

Now I'm off to my Body Balance class

Hope you enjoy your day!

Regina

Art in the Park 1

(clickable image)

this drumband mainly played 'Djembe' drums

(clickable image)
it was so great and contageous
to see these kids playing their instruments!

I love the braids of this drumming young lady

Five times I have been participating in Art in the Park, last Sunday being the most recent.

The event is getting bigger and nicer every year!! Thanks to the initiative of a wonderful lady from Boston that lives here half of the year, artists from both sides of the island have a chance to exhibit, to show their passion and evt. sell their work. More important: the people of St. Maarten/St. Martin, temporary visitors included, have an opportunity to spend a lovely day in our one and only pure and natural site: the Emilio Wilson Park, located in the Cul de Sac valley at the very centre of the island and purchase art that really is especial

Barbara (the organizing lady) usually hires an old fashioned string band and they really bring in more joy and excitement, but this time they were too busy and an alternative was found in two drumbands, Caribbean style! Ah, the feeling coming over me when I first heard them
(I am a longtime lover of drumbands, especially the swinging ones... when I was 5 yrs young I got lost in Amsterdam one day, going after the music, so the story goes)!!


My collages were welcomed and appreciated by many visitors, I had some good sales on both this work and my quilted panels. No need to choose between paper and fabric, people just look at what they think interesting and like, that's my experience.

And people are interested in the story behind the work, so after this day of talking/listening/showing/explaining and enjoying,
the lasting impression for me is:


Go on, just do it, follow your heart!!

Thanks for visiting today,

Regina

SXM

SXM #1

This new collage is one of a series of six that will be shown at

'Art in the Park'

tomorrow on the isle of Sint Maarten, Emilio Wilson Park, 10am-16pm

Wish me luck and please

do visit us if you happen to be around ;-)

Regina

To colour your day!

A real Caribbean house in the village of Grand Case

at the side of the house is an alley to the beach

in the capital Marigot is a Creole lady that sells fruit from here: she simply carries her fruits in this wheelbarrow and sells it at the most fancy boutiques, I have often seen her doing good business!

and finally: this is the view from the above mentioned alley. You can see the isle of Anguilla in the distance

Hope your world will be colourful also, but hey: we can always make art!

xo Regina

A Rasta day

Last week we spent a lovely day at one of the beaches at the French side of the island.

This one is 'famous' for it's rastafarian style, it's atmosphere and this time everything had been repainted freshly and refurbished in rasta colours!

I was in a brave mood and succeeded to overcome my reluctance/hesitation/maybe even fear and asked this very friendly waiter if I could take his picture. Upon asking 'Why?' I simply answered: 'Because of your beautiful smile!'

the way old soda and beer cans are being used again: ashtrays for the beach-guests

Kali's Beach Bar, Friar's Bay, St. Martin

a tad pricey, but surely worth a visit!

In the art field I am preparing for Art in the Park next Sunday. This time I will mainly be showing collage work, which is a first here.

A good Wednesday!

Regina

Texture!

Last week, after my weekly volunteering at one of our primary schools,

I noticed this old, dead tree at the school's playground./..

and though its bark has completely disappeared, eaten away by tiny creatures or maybe blown away by hurricane-strong winds,

it is still standing strong, and for the eye of the beholder, showing such beauty!

clear blue Caribbean skies peeking through, cracks and creviches in the stem holding secrets untold...

I cherish these old, bare trees and their secret hidden life from the past,
and you, do you?

xox Regina

Selling fruits

For a long time I have been wanting to show pictures of the fruit stalls that you can see while driving all over the island. Normally I am reluctant to take pictures from people I see on the streets, how much I would like to show them on my blog, for the people living on Sint Maarten often are beautiful and the colours they wear inspire me in many ways. But I am aware of their privacy and pride (and poverty also) and it simply does not feel good to me to show this to the world without permission. So for me the only acceptable method is taking pictures (more like a tourist would) while I drive or am waiting in traffic jams ;-)

Yesterday luck was with me and this is my harvest

waiting for clients, Rue de Hollande, Marigot

in Quartier d'Orleans (French Quarter) there is a kind of unofficial marketplace situated at a busy crossing. I had to wait and the camera was at hand...

(please click the image for details)

Have a great day!

Regina