HOPE BUILDS BRIDGES
36” x 24”
paper collage
archival 7-color pigment dye ink photographs
hand printed on archival fine art paper
Value $1,360
(suggested minimum donation $400... of course, a larger donation would be VERY gratefully accepted to help our sister city survivers rebuild)
by Carolyn Collins                                                   

On September 15th, 2010 I awoke with a dreamvision and quickly sketched it in my journal to create a future photographic paper collage art piece. Little did I know it was just for this purpose until I got a text on March 15th, 2011 asking if I could create/donate something for this special benefit event. My sleepy handwritten sketch-journal notes from 6 months prior to this request included: "world travelers?... windows to the world?... boat like an Asian slip... misty/foggy… peaceful, still waters… as if having survived a storm."

This original dreamvision art piece was a 62-hour labor of love to help those in need, the flood victims in Japan. The collage features 101 photographs I shot in 9 countries, hand printed on archival fine art paper with archival 7-color pigment dye ink.

Symbolism lies within each component photograph:
Built from salvaged debris, the boat is carrying survivors from the dark of the storm to the light of relief. Passengers from around the world are also onboard, as we are all in this together. Flags hoisted represent the support from people of all different perspectives. Candles at the top honor those who did not survive the storm, and additional lights are all who seek solutions to render aid and support. Also included are images representing music, art and other forms of creative efforts to help heal those who are sufferring.

Click here to view HOPE BUILDS BRIDGES original artwork.

I created this piece specifically to raise as much money as possible for surviving tsunami flood victims in our sister city of Sendai. If HOPE BUILDS BRIDGES is still available at 10pm CDST on Friday, May 13th, 2011, an alternate donation-raising campaign for this piece will begin promptly on Saturday, May 14th, 2011 (100% proceeds still go to the same flood relief fund - see the "About" page above). Inquiries, please contact me at carolyncollinsphotography@gmail.com.

Thanks to each and every person who is helping us help others in need.
Peace and smiles ~Carolyn

Are there any peices still available to purchase? Please let me know where they can be viewed,

Thanks,,

YEMYA は私の日本での人々に静かできれいな水を送ってください。
YEMYA- please send calm & clean water to my people in Japan

Go on child!!/ Dance children/Dance/ Vogue it out/                                                                                                                                                        

I am dancing/shouting now/ Stomping in my white

tee/but/silent is power/ so I write

In the mooring/ let's have church in woods when I rise/

Near the maroon's/ Florida's swamp lakes/

Lay low sunchildren/ Close to the EARTH/

she has PMS/ The belly of the beast is rumbling/

Somebody will get feed today/

So/ this ain't going to be pretty/

Get the hot water bottles out/

Clean her wounds of all surface pains/

Wash her topsoil of all human toxicity/

Stop with the manure/ It’s not helpful at this time/

Firetilize her with any medium in which to help growth/

development/Feed the love she needs/gives daily/

Give Sweet Honey/

But/

Gold makes a solid connection/

Assist us to stay humble/Pray/Breathe/Pray/Breathe

It's like yoga/ I Ching/ Buddha/ Running

Pray/Breathe/Pray/Breathe

May the blessings come/May they rain down on us

while the animals gather in her name/Sing them blessing

into the light as we always did/ As we always do/ Dance/

Dance / Vouge it out/Sun children

To the borderlands/over the fences/across the deserts/

through the woods/in the swamps/on the raff

to the other side/Yeah/ that's it/

we have to get to the other side

We memorized the footprints without land

On the move to higher ground this time/

can’t you hear them/ They are coming/

Sweep your welcome mats/ Set the table with your best

white Linen/ light the sage with black candles burning

cause they are coming/ can't you hear them/

the Japanese are coming/ the Haitians are coming

the cubans are coming, the New Orleans folks

are coming to

I would like to call on the Orishas/ * May Legba open

the gates to this invocation/ CALLING: Oya/ Yemaya/ Oshun/

Please guide our hearts/Our souls/ Our movements/

Our financial literacy/ Our consciousness/ Our pens

So that we the people may do right by the Ancestors/

I am giving clam water to drink from/ I'm asking that

our paths and homes be refreshed in Haiti/Cuba/Japan

New Orleans/ New York/For we are dancing in your

name MOTHER/ASHE'