I'm an artist and mother to three beautiful girls ages 5, 3 and 6 months. I live on the North Shore in Massachusetts with my husband Adam... he speeds up in the car when we drive by yard sales. Maybe Adam does this because I have had, oh, about, 6 dining room tables, many, many chairs... actually many SETS of chairs, at least 6 couches and 11 sewing machines... and I didn't even know how to sew.

Collecting. Gathering. Repurposing. I have it under control now - I won't buy or take anything broken (I used to think I could fix everything... now that I have kids I'm okay with letting that badge go - for now).
I won't take anything I can't use, and I won't take anything for anyone else - unless they have asked me to look for it.

When I was in Art School I was asked to make art, defend it, destroy it, make it and defend it again. It was an exhausting exercise but it made me edit my work and it taught me to edit my life. I learned to sew and got rid of most of those sewing machines... I only have 5 now... but I sew and am using the things I have gathered to make Art.

Now when I make art I draw upon not only the objects I have collected but the experience of finding them and learning how to use them well. You may find something familiar here, and it may be because I found it on your curb.

Liz