The Katrina Collection: November 2006

Koi Pond features a panel from an antique Chinese wedding bed. It is mounted on a piece of rusty tin, a furniture fragment, and a painted metal platter. SOLD

Mumford Award for Peace. Recently, I was contacted by a representative of the national group Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility to create for them this year's Mumford Awards, which honors people and organizations that exemplify ADPSR’s goals of peace, preservation of the natural and built environment, and socially responsible development. I was thrilled to be able to accomodate them. SOLD

This first one was an especially enjoyable one for me to create, because of a story I will relate a few sentences down. I began the piece with the curved wood element which was once part of a rocking chair. It was given to me only recently by a friend who is still sorting through her debris. I mounted it upon a piece of elaborate moulding and suspended three pieces of metal from the wood. On the smallest disc is painted a symbol for peace, the Pax Cultura. There is a great story about this piece, too- about two weeks before I was first contacted by the group, my husband came to me with a small lump of rust in which was embedded the piece of turquoise from the shell on the environment award. I was really happy, because this piece of turquoise was the first thing we had found from the treehouse-I kept all my jewelry supplies up there, including a treasure of semi precious stones, amber and coral. I turned the lump of rust over to see the back side, and discovered that it had formed upon a small political pin which I had in my collection of campaign pins. It had the letters "ABR" in black on a white background, and it had been given to me, in the 1980s, by Dr. Helen Caldicott, a past winner of one of their peace awards! When I googled ADPSR and saw that she had been a recipient, I had to find a way to incorporate it in to the award. 10" x 13"

Wise Man is a piece done later in the series, when I was no longer focusing so intently on the storm. The owner of a local antique and gift store generously gave me permission to rummage through the rubble of her shop, and I emerged with several damaged figures. Wise Man is one of these, and is about finding pieces which fit well with another. It is composed of the plaster figure, a crushed basket, a decorative tin, and a piece of board. 21" x 21" SOLD

Mumford Award for Socially Responsible Development. It is composed from actual elements of a structure, as well as elements which remind us of graceful living in our homes. I formed the base of the piece from a fragment of a round, carved wooden bowl which rests upon two pieces of wood flooring. Three rusted doorplates form the vertical element of the piece, and resting on top of the plates is an architectural fragment. In front and center is a carved and painted wood finial which rests upon a napkin ring. Creating this piece, I reflected upon the challenges we face here on the coast as we struggle to rebuild after the storm. Our wetlands are beig threatened by overdevelopment, and our towns are in serious danger of losing the genuineness and charm which made us unique. The arched element at the top and the door plates represent our need for security in our homes, while the finial and napkin ring are symbolic of our spiritul need for beauty in our lives. 14" x 12" SOLD

Carved Cross features a lovely purchased cross mounted upon a painted wood bowl which came from a debris pile here in the Bay. SOLD

Third World starts with a doll that has been laying around since right after the storm.I paired it with another of those metal and parchment things, and adhered it to a fan blade and a battered metal vent cover. Two circular pieces of metal and a block of wood for the base complete the piece. SOLD

Kachina started with the leather and metal "head"which is actually a small drum. I paired it with an antique chopstick holder, the "arms" are fragments of small boxes, and the back pieces consist of a wood plate and the rusty front to a fan. SOLD

Sun God centers around the brass head with small chains. I placed it atop another metal fragment, and a copper fan, added the rusty door plate and the brass shoe and used a fragment of furniture for the support. SOLD

Cross on Metal starts with a purchased ceramic and metal cross.I layered it on a piece of painted metal, a beautifully patinaed piece of sheet copper and a battered paint tray holder. SOLD

A Cross for Susan. This piece was commissioned by Susan, a good friend of mine. She wanted it as a gift for her church in Grand Junction, Colorado. I was so happy to be able to make it for her, as Susan was a volunteer down here with the Red Cross after the storm. I have been lucky enough to get to know her on her subsequent trips back here, and was able to visit her in her home and meet her husband Brian and their two beautiful daughters. The piece was made from a damaged metal cross, a circular piece of wood from some piece of furniture (I think!) , a salvaged ceramic tile and a wooden board which I painted and distressed to match the tile. 8" x 11". SOLD

Celtic Cross starts with a purchased metal cross. I layered it with the lid to a small barrel, and two fragments of furniture. SOLD

Toolbox Mermaid is a fun piece which starts with a smashed drawer from a metal toolbox, a painted piece of metal and a Mexican tin mermaid from post-Katrina New Orleans. SOLD

Good Dog/Bad Dog V is the smallest of the Good Dog series. This piece is composed from the alvaged metal sculpture, a painted wooden tray with three compartments, and a piece of plywood which I painted. 15" x 9" SOLD

Parlor Lamp features a smashed copper lamp in pieces, a fragment of a tapestry I found on the beach in Clermont Harbor, and a wooden serving tray. 17" x 25" SOLD

Bust is created from a plastic doll head and torso, a piece of scrap wood, a drawer knob, a wooden box, a metal strainer and a wire fan. 13" x 21" SOLD

Good Dog Bad Dog VII starts with the metal frontpiece, and is layered on an old Mississippi license plate, a piece of wood flooring and a painted platter. SOLD

House of the Dragon is a small piece which features an old Chinese coin and a Victorial door lock-probaby a reproduction-and a purchased brass dragon. They are mounted upon a fragment of fine furniture which came from a house in Pass Christian. SOLD

Mumford Award for Preservation of the Natural and Built Environment. This piece is composed from debris which includes a wooden furniture leg, two pieces of wood flooring, a brass platter with birds attached to the surface, a shell, a piece of turquoise, and a metal horned toad which came from post-Katrina New Orleans. The shell and the flowing lines of the furniture leg symbolize the waters of the earth, while the small piece of turquoise indicates our wealth of natural resources. The roundness of the platter echoes the shape of our planet, and the birds and the horned toad remind us of the earth's fauna. 11" x 11" SOLD

My Heart is on the Coast is about the people who have not been able to return home. I know many of them, and I can only imagine the homesickness they endure. The piece is made from two scrap pieces of plywood, a piece of sheet copper, some rusty nails, a rusty chain and padlock that I found in the woods behind m hme, and a small metal box with a fragment of a necklace I had in my studo. SOLD

Stella's Teacup is a piece I made for my friends Paul and Stella LaViolet. They gave me the cup, which was the only piece of the set that they were able to recover, and the fragment of flooring which serves as the support for the piece. They had a lovely home on the beach in Waveland; only a slab remains. While the teacup and plank call to mind the beauty of their home, I added the flowers as a reminder of the property itself, which was equally as beautiful. The cup and flowers are framed by a sewing machine drawer. 8"x 20" SOLD

A Cross for Sidney was a commissioned piece. It was created from a metal cross, one of those spikey metal things used in fastening trusses together, the cover from an old pocket sized bible, a piece of wood which I painted and stamped with Asian characters, and a piece of scrap wood for the support. SOLD

Angel with a Rusty Heart is composed from a broiler pan, a Mexican tin case with a glass door, and a wooden angel. The angel is one of several which I purchased recently, and she is like us-our hearts are a bit rusty and battered, but they are still beating strongly! 13" x 15" SOLD

The Mississippi Development Authority recently asked me to create a unique cover for their presentation to the Travel Industry Association's National Council of State Tourism Directors Mercury Awards for excellence and creative accomplishment in state tourism marketing and promotion. They were going to focus their presentation on the achievements of the European Journalist project, so I decided to make the cover very similar to the pieces I created as gifts from the state to the journalists. I incorporated two of my storm photographs, several different kinds of handmade paper, some mirror tiles from that smashed disco ball, and some pennies with the "Katrina Patina" evident. 12" x 16" SOLD

How to Feng Shui a Life is an intriguing piece on a couple of levels. The gold frame that serves as the support for the piece was salvaged from the 8 foot tall debris piles outside of Chessy's Antiques, which was on the beach in Bay St. Louis. Layered on top of the frame is a fragment of a piece of furniture painted with an oriental design which came from Pass Christian, and on top of that is glued an oval mirror which has lost most of it's coating. The final element is a feng shui compass I picked up recently in Richmond, Virginia. It is actually a gorgeous magenta color, which does not come through in this image. 22" x 14" SOLD

Circle of Life has at its center another one of the dozens of dolls I recovered from debris piles in Bay St. Louis and Waveland. The Native American appearing doll is embraced by a wooden hoop, and rests upon a beautiful piece of embroidered cloth embellished with mirrors and cowrie shells, which I discovered in an antique shop in Texas. The cloth rests inside a shallow box, which in return is mounted upon a rusted metal serving platter. 20" diameter. SOLD

Ave Maria started with the beautiful framed reproduction of an old painting. I layered it with some salvaged silver and the ornately painted piece of wood. 12"x 14" SOLD

Warrior was created from a silver serving platter, a fragment of a picture frame, the feather trim from a pillow, a square bamboo tray and a painted African mask. SOLD

Saints is a piece about the recovery of New Orleans. My friend Russell told me recently that the fleur de lis, an established symbol of the city, has taken on a new, post Katrina meaning. It now symbolizes the recovery efforts in this battered city we love. The old ceiling tin is mounted upon another piece of embossed tin and a cupboard door. 17" x 22" SOLD

Ivory Tower began with the carved bone elephant from one of my salvaged necklaces. I paired it with a metal picture frame, a painted acrylic charger, a small drawer, and a coaster from my home. My beautiful granddaughter Ayden used to love to play with those coasters. SOLD

Beyond the Primitive started with the wonderful wood and metal musical instrument which I picked up on a recent trip to Virginia. I am not sure of its origin-perhaps it is African, perhaps Indonesian. The figure on the front is a somewhat silly looking angel, and the medallions on either side have Hindu designs. I salvaged these elements from the mud in my back yard, and the red metal tray is also from a debris pile. 13" x 19" SOLD

Family Story is comprised of a painted wooden table with its legs attached in an unusual place. It is topped by a painted metal shelf from a plant cart, and a wonderful; metal container which came from an antique shop in Jackson, Mississippi. Pieces of handmade paper with Chines characters are emerging from the container. 32" x 32" SOLD

The following series in The Katrina Collection came to be when I received a request from the Mississippi Development Authority to create pieces for twenty journalists from six Western European nations who were to be touring the coast. I was very happy to have been chosen to represent my state, and thrilled to be creating a new series. The circumstances dictated that the pieces must be basically two dimensional and small enough to easily fit in a suitcase. After meeting those requirements, I had free rein to create.

I decided that each piece had to be loaded with symbolism. I chose various elements to convey several different ideas. Each piece has at least one rusty nail or screw. These represent all that was left of so many homes along the coast. Each piece also contains at least one piece of some shattered mirror tiles which were taken from a smashed disco ball which I found on the beach in Waveland. These elements recall the beauty of our lost homes. Tarnished coins recovered from my back yard adorn each one as well; these represent the overwhelming financial burden caused by the storm. The coins have a double meaning however; I chose pennies, with their portrait of Abraham Lincoln, to also represent the best of my country and our determination to overcome our present difficulties. The pieces also include keys, strips of wood and metal, and various other detritus from Katrina's wrath.

Each piece contains a different image of the storm. These images are from photos which I took in the weeks following Katrina. All of these pictures are etched into my brain and bring forth some very painful memories. The images have been distressed, altered with acrylic paint, and mounted on pieces of plexiglass which I scavenged from a debris pile. On the back side of the plexiglass, I have mounted segments of stories written by my dear friend Ellis Anderson. Ellis began collecting stories at the same time I started collecting debris, and her work is powerful and moving. Her stories may be accessed at http://katrinapatina.blogspot.com. The titles of each piece in the series are taken from the stories which are part of each piece.

Finally, I layered each piece with fragments of paintings, old photos, torn fabric, book covers, pieces of paper, and other bits and pieces. All of these elements, as well as the plexiglass and plywood supports, were recovered from piles of storm debris.

My thanks to Mary Straton Smith and Kristen McCaskill of the Mississippi Development Authority, Tourism Division, for this terrific opportunity.