Old Collage Series Meets New Love of Encaustics

SHE SAID IT IN A LETTER is a series of collage works created from authentic love letters from the late 1920s found stashed behind the wall in an attic alcove.

Originally the series was created and displayed as raw collage works but sadly the script had begun to fade.

The solution was to combine the collage series with my new love of encaustic wax medium to seal and protect the fading script which has the added bonus of creating a dream-like timeless quality to each original work of art.

Each of the dimensional collages is created on a 4" x 4" x 1.5" canvas and is designed to have an impact individually or grouped in any combination of two or more.

"Time Passing"

"Time Passing" - Side view - to purchase email me at crystal_opf@comcast.net or visit OPF Studio at Etsy

~Sold~

"Tonight Dear"

"Tonight Dear" - Side detail

To purchase "Tonight Dear" email me at crystal_opf@comcast.net or visit OPF Studio at Etsy.

"Come Back"

"Come Back" - Side Detail

To purchase "Come Back" email me at crystal_opf@comcast.net or visit OPF Studio at Etsy.

~Sold~

More of this series to be listed soon....

You Are God and I am Man - Art as Form of Worship

Art or creating art can go beyond the obvious aesthetic purpose or creative outlet to becoming a form of worship. A song, not formed with words but with an inner vision.

There is a stirring that happens when I begin to create. The pictures that form as I piece together a new collage or an assemblage are a song. Each seemingly insignificant scrap becomes an instrument or a voice, part of an eternal choir pulling from deep within a hidden place in my soul.

As the instruments begin to tune there is a release of control to the higher power of God. I listen, my heart and ears turn expectantly. I am not creating alone, I am a vessel, as he pours his song of love into me I pour my praise and adoration for him out onto the canvas.

This collage has gone through several transformations, each time I thought it was done and was well pleased. The second to last transformation I thought was perfect. Beautiful really. Unlike anything I had done. There were only a few elements then and it had a simplicity, a tranquility that brought the feeling of peace. Of rest. All I needed to do was add the frame. The brown would be a nice compliment to the green hue I had managed to bring out in the perfectly smooth encaustic.
But one wrong move and I ruined it. The finish was ruptured and in the process of trying to fix it I ruined it again. I was frustrated, I swore, I nearly cried as I saw the mess it had become. The more I tried to repair the worse I made it. And then I remembered. This, even this, was His to control not mine. I had to let it go. Let go of the vision I had for it and release myself to become ready to see the vision He had. I was ready to acknowledge again ~ Yes, You are God and I am Man.

"You Are God and I Am Man" is an encaustic wax collage created from antique papers, fibers and hardware on canvas. It is framed in richly patinaed reclaimed antique advertising yardsticks. To purchase, e-mail me at crystal_opf@comcast.net or visit OPF Studio at Etsy.

Repairer of Broken Walls - Art as a Tool For Healing

Art can be an incredible tool for healing the brokenness and pain that is inherent to human nature.

I believe there are stories written on our hearts that have formed from the experiences of our lives. Deeply personal, these stories have brought us pain and have caused cracks in the foundation of our soul.

There is a spiritual yearning, a groaning for heavenly places of safety and comfort, a desire inside to connect with God, to experience His healing through the love and relationship with Him we were designed for.

Sometimes our stories are ongoing, cyclic, repeating, God trying to push us toward recognition and resolution. And through the vehicle of art, where the language is spiritual and comes not in words, but in texture, color, and images we make a connection.

This is a turning point to recovering ones true self, the healed and whole person we were meant to be. Walls that were torn down are being rebuilt. Gates are repaired. And lives are restored.

~ you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings ~ Isaiah 58:12

"Repairer of Broken Walls" is an encaustic wax collage created from antique papers, fibers, hardware, and oil pastels on cradled canvas. It is framed in richly patinaed reclaimed wood from an antique toolbox, hardware still intact. To purchase, e-mail me at crystal_opf@comcast.net or visit OPF Studio at Etsy. ~Sold~

Serenity Prayer - Art as Meditation

Art serves so many purposes, not only in the life of the artist, but also in those who will view it and reflect on what it stirs in their soul.

One purpose art serves for me as I create, and later as I reflect on what it is that has come from inside of me, is a vehicle for meditation and reflection.

During the creative process I work silently, moving items around the canvas as pieces of a puzzle. I know instinctively when something fits. A voice comes from within that affirms the placement or leaves me unsettled about it. Sometimes it will stir with words, a song or a phrase, or scripture will begin to repeat over and over in my head.

I have been learning to trust that voice, both through the artistic process and in life. To know it is okay, to leave something as is and wait, or to take action to change it.

As I listen and reflect and meditate on what I am hearing deeper things begin to stir and answers begin to form. Clarity and understanding are mine in those silent moments.

Trust it. Trust that voice. Trust the Spirit inside.

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."

Serenity Prayer is an encaustic wax collage created from antique papers and oil pastels on cradled canvas. It is framed in richly patinaed reclaimed wood from an antique toolbox, hardware still intact. To purchase, e-mail me at crystal_opf@comcast.net or visit OPF Studio at Etsy.