I have been a collector for as long as I have been alive. I began my obsession in the woods collecting what I called faerie wands and the bones of dead animals. I also had a rock collection and was so proud of the random granite and quartz hunks I'd found on my adventures in the driveway that I considered becoming a geologist.
My grandfather and mother encouraged the obsession and made it a point to take me to yard sales and flea markets where I'd find more treasures. One of those treasures were collections of dead relatives. I have over 10,000 found photos that I've amassed over decades and the drawings below are the result.
When I decided to draw from my collection I wanted to replicate the photos as they are, using graphite and ink and paint in an attempt to maintain the feel of the original. Most of the images are the same size as the original, with a few exceptions, and each is made to be touched and held as if the viewer themselves has discovered them in a flea market.
