Collages in progress

I’ve made about 60 of the collages that will cover the surface of the kimono now. As I work on these small pieces, I am thinking about the individual stories behind each collage. Some of you, I know. Some of the people on the collage just trusted that I would do something interesting with their photograph; I don’t even know their names or how to contact them. Regardless, each one of these stories is important and meaningful in their own way. I find myself feeling grateful that people have been willing to participate, and trust me with their images. It feels like an awesome (literally) responsibility, and I’m deeply humbled by this work. There are days when it seems unsurmountable, but I look at the sign that hangs in my studio: DON’T GIVE UP. And then I press on.