External Validation 1987 emerged from the process of playing with the construction (and deconstruction) of identity based on artifacts of official achievement: grade reports, standardized test scores, photographs, newspaper articles, and a badge from a 1987 teen pageant. As I worked on the décollage, it felt cathartic to glue down and tear back these defining layers of personal history, creating something new from the documentary “evidence” of academic perfection and parental approval, examining the official proof of my self-worth.
The following photos show the process of collage and décollage that created External Validation 1987.
Hold it together, Sister1987 Miss TEENS (fellow contestants)Winner of Miss TEEN Missouri 1987 (spoiler: it was not me!)Raine accepted for TEEN EventHigh school report cardAm I doing OK? Am I OK?My senior-year class photoMy contestant badgeAdding the top layer and then the first tearImage obscuredMore tearsLayers revealedFurther tearingVaried layersAlmost completeFinal imageDetail from External Validation 1987Detail from External Validation 1987Detail from External Validation 1987
Along with flip flops, sunscreen, and a hat, I did not forget to take my collage bag with me on vacation! I made the following collages on rainy days and quiet evenings in a hotel in Elliot Lake, Ontario.
Autumnal Window, Catherine Raine, 2014 (Cat image by Aki Sogabe)Jump Over the Potion, Catherine Raine, 2014Pottery Boat of Solitude, Catherine Raine, 2014Pottery Boat of Solitude, Catherine Raine, 2014Urn of Fashion Regret, Catherine Raine, 2014Urn of Fashion Regret, Catherine Raine, 2014
As my mother clears boxes of old papers from her house, hundreds of pieces of ephemera have surfaced from previous decades, including a set of Wispy Walker paper doll clothes that I played with in the 1970’s. The pantsuits, nightgowns, and dresses were too unique to simply throw in the recycling bin, so I kept them in reserve to become the stars of twelve collages.
Peace Out Pink and Denim, Catherine Raine, 2014Peace Out Pink and Denim, Catherine Raine, 2014Peace Out Pink and Denim, Catherine Raine, 2014Blue-Green Twirl, Catherine Raine 2014Blue-Green Twirl, Catherine Raine 2014Groovy Conversation, Catherine Raine 2014Groovy Conversation, Catherine Raine 2014Groovy Conversation, Catherine Raine 2014Beaded Grebe Paper Doll, Catherine Raine 2014Beaded Grebe Paper Doll, Catherine Raine 2014Another Pink and Blue Day, Catherine Raine 2014Another Pink and Blue Day, Catherine Raine 2014Couture Grebe and Fashion Colleague, Catherine Raine 2014Hummingbird Prophet on Wheels, Catherine Raine 2014Hummingbird Prophet on Wheels, Catherine Raine 2014Walking the Pocketwatch, Catherine Raine 2014Walking the Pocketwatch, Catherine Raine 2014“No, I Do Not Require a Ghostly Butler Today,” Catherine Raine 2014“No, I Do Not Require a Ghostly Butler Today,” Catherine Raine 2014“No, I Do Not Require a Ghostly Butler Today,” Catherine Raine 2014Circulating Paper Dolls, Catherine Raine, 2014Circulating Paper Dolls, Catherine Raine, 2014Circulating Paper Dolls, Catherine Raine, 2014Multiplying Layers, Catherine Raine, 2014Multiplying Layers, Catherine Raine, 2014Multiplying Layers, Catherine Raine, 2014Multiplying Layers, Catherine Raine, 2014Goth Bird Stands Tall, Catherine Raine, 2014Goth Bird Stands Tall, Catherine Raine, 2014Goth Bird Stands Tall, Catherine Raine, 2014
On a washing day, I place the white basket on the patio table, move the line into position, and grab some single socks. As I administer the stability of clothespins, I relish the sun on my face and the breeze that moves the tall thistles and Queen Anne’s lace.
My hands attach the socks, shirts, towels, and pajama bottoms to the line, connecting me to a pre-electric time when the sun’s rays were not considered eccentric alternatives to the dryer.
Full of solar gratitude, the pulley and I send the clothing further down the line, deeper into the garden, unfurling my sails for the wind to catch them. I scootch the entire set of washing as far as I can, until the first sock is almost touching the top of the plants. Each time a new garment is pinned, it makes a great launch into the unknown, pennants of the sky meeting green messengers of the earth.
Task finished, I stand on the deck to admire the animated line, smiling at the dance of billowing cloth that the wind creates as it plays with pant legs and flowing hems. As I observe the moving shadows cast on the grass below, I breathe the scent of summer warmth that the laundry will later hold in memory, releasing sunshine on thankful skin.
Four years ago today, I lost a childhood friend to cancer. She was only forty-one years old. To celebrate Jenny and her love of all things purple and fun, I’d like to dedicate this tufted art piece to her memory. I communed with her playful, artistic spirit as I built layers of paper with matte medium and then began a process of décollage.
The photo-chronology below begins with the first layer of collage, builds to the top layer, and then documents the process of tearing away and other alterations.
As I was walking through Kew Gardens, the sight of this wee door at the base of a tree astonished me!
Who made the door? And why?
Who arranged the offering of twigs and leaves?
To thank the tree, I placed two quarters on the spontaneous shrine, still marveling at the fairy-tale door.
By the time I saw the chamber again more than a year later, the story of its magic had evolved. Astroturf now covered the dirt floor and a new vision of the world outside the door had been created.With a sturdy vehicle, a stone wall, a compass, a sign, and a campfire, this self-sufficient village can confidently weather the challenges of a busy Toronto park.
Smalls Creek, Williamson Park, TorontoSmalls Creek, Williamson Park, TorontoHollow tree on bank of Taylor Massey Creek, ScarboroughHollow tree on bank of Taylor Massey Creek, Scarborough
A pink sink appeared on a neighbour’s lawn, and I took a picture of it.
Two weeks later, I noticed some changes in the rejected sink’s appearance, and its new look inspired a short reflection.
Pink Sink Reflection
The weight of the pink basin is no match for the power of grass. It only takes two weeks for hundreds of green blades to hoist their pastel burden high and tilt it to one side. In a similar show of strength, dandelions find outlets through the three holes, pushing aside ghosts of faucets past.
Where hot and cold water once rushed through pipes, new stems flourish wild, breathing spring into the openings that people once controlled. As fluffy seeds unfurl with defiance, they celebrate the natural disobedience of plant life.With insouciant flair, these so-called weeds seize every opportunity to grow, and they do not apologize for it.
Dandelions, thank you for challenging human assumptions. By threading yourselves through a discarded basin, you teach us what matters: surviving, finding a purchase, and overcoming obstacles that seem crushing at first. Your genius and grit create beauty in unexpected places, inciting resistance to perfect lawns policed by frowns.
This poem enjoyed an open mic outing (my first) yesterday afternoon at the Urban Gallery. I am grateful to Brenda Clews for organizing the event and to Stewart Russell for making the recording!
Life at the Roots
By Catherine Raine (2013)
One fall day,
I walk the ribbed bedrock of a dry creek.
Between old dreaming stream and Flack Lake,
a carpet of fresh moss and brown duff.
My steps disturb a creature
who runs away under the cover of leaves,
pushing up against its shelter as it flees.
The unknown animal
creates a living ribbon of movement,
drawing a flight path with its body.
The tree litter shifts and rustles in its fast wake,
evidence of life unseen but more real than this poem,
fusing threads of instinct without pause.
One summer day,
I bike home from work,
thoughts distracted from the simple path
that curves by the banks of Taylor Massey Creek.
I pass a tall gathering of yellow grasses
that erupts with startled birds.
They fly straight up from the reeds,
rising all at once in a mass of flapping.
Birds of hidden presence,
you are birds of poetry and vision.
All the beauty that lies unknown within us,
waiting for a sudden movement,
a whoosh of wheels and wings
to reveal life at the roots,
a wild frightening freshness that we cage with lies.
One spring morning,
Dark green shoots
grow from my breasts, pushing up, pushing out.
I tug a shoot from my left aureole
and a large curly leaf comes out.
I tug more shoots and yet more shoots,
shocked by the secret depth of my roots.
My right breast overspills with greenery, too.
Dirt mixes with the leaves,
and one last tug
makes an onion pop out and roll on the grass.
Onion, I know you.
You promise food, the push of streams,
breath of reeds, and the soft spring of moss.
I believe in your hidden roots.
Underground, you listen to famished souls
who trace desire lines on the waiting earth.
Several years later, I entered the poem in a contest and it was selected as one of four winners:
When my students make presentations about their artwork, I love the natural wisdom which emerges. I hope you find their collages as inspiring as I do!
Sunny’s Collage
This is my collage. We can see we have two mouse in here. On the right, we have one, oh, just so terrible. He just in the cleft and he (is) afraid the other animal will eat it. On the left, this animal can enjoy the sunshine and can in the farmland eat the rice. It’s so freedom. Oh, it’s relaxed, fantastic.
The meaning is like us. Why? Because we can in here have many rich people or people who come from the worker family. But we are the same. We are all human. So if you want to get success, you have to change. Maybe in this time, you are very relaxed or maybe in this time you are very afraid, but never mind because you can change. You can do it yourself and change your surroundings. You can get what you want. . . . . If you want to change, you have to work hard.
Paul’s Collage
First, why I choose cat? Because the cat look like cute and look like a little lazy. Traditionally people say “The cat have nine lives.” Why cat have nine lives? Because cat is very very vigilant and focused for everything. Even though they look lazy and they don’t care about anything, cat is very focused for everything. If a mouse passes his eyes, he can be very focused to get it, to take the mouse, and eat it.
Traditional Chinese master say, “You’re safe in the danger, but you die in the good life.” What’s the meaning? Does anyone read the Bible? Have the story about a Jewish king named David. When he (was) younger, that last Jewish king want to kill him. Then he run away and don’t do any mistakes for God because he’s very focused on the dangerous life. But after this time passed and David become the king,, he have a mistake because his life is so good.
For everything you need a focus. Does anybody play League of Warriors? Do you know, for this game you need a lot of focus so you can win. So everything in life you need to play like this game. Everyone need a focus. Don’t relax for everything. You understand?
Lauricelly’s Collage
My collage is about the art. And this art is by Frida Kahlo. She was born in Mexico, and she was important painter in Mexico and other countries. She was a sick woman all her life because she suffered life-long health problems because of a traffic accident when she was a teenager. She stayed in the bed all the time. She had a problem with her spinal column.
You can see the picture. She is Frida Kahlo. She had one eyebrow. In the middle, you can see arms and legs. The means the inspiration of this woman was influenced by her illness.
She did different self-portraits because she paint about her problems. She paint about her physical problem, emotional problems, and personal problems. And she has problems with her spinal column and her sexuality.
In this corner, you can see the man flying with an umbrella. He has wings, like Frida who said, “Because I have wings, I can fly.” What is the meaning? It’s impossible to fly, but you can fly with your imagination. You can fly with your dreams.
I choose this collage because I like her story. Frida Kahlo is my superhero. She is immortal.
Lee’s Collage
Today I want to talk about Chinese history. Chinese history have about 5,000 or more years. You can see the three pictures. When you first see the three pictures, you think the three things have long history. In China, there are many museums, and there are many Chinese things in museums all over the world, for example, in the Royal Ontario Museum.
On the top left, is a bell. You can put it for ding, ding, ding. It’s a musical bell. On the right, this a jar to put some food in it. On the bottom, this is a picture of some jade.
Raymond’s Collage
At the top of my collage are two pictures, a tornado and a ship in a calm sea that is about to go over a waterfall. These two pictures tell us that in our lives we have some troubles. Some trouble will come to our lives, but don’t give up.
The bottom half of the collage has two pictures. This one is a picture of a drop of water. This one has a path and boat. You can feel very relaxed when you see these pictures. You can see that this is very calm. So every time you have troubles in your life, calm down is the first step, and you will solve it. You may have many, many bad days, but it’s not a bad life. You will believe that solve your troubles is a good choice. Give up is a bad choice. So believe in yourself and believe in ourselves!
Joyce’s Collage
My collage is about my future. At the top of the collage, there is a wooden bridge. All you you can see is that it is a long way. The weather is hazy. To the right of the bridge, there are many colourful clouds. In the lower right corner, you can see a house with five children and two old people inside.
The collage means a lot to me because it’s like my life. Maybe in my future I will be like that, from the hazy weather to a colourful world. I came alone here four months ago, but maybe in my future I will have many granddaughters and grandsons. They can begin to call me Grandma. So the future will be better.
Finally, here is the text from Jerry’s presentation. (Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of his collage because he made it a few days after the other students).
There are only three pictures in this collage. Here is one cat. What is he doing? He’s a sleeping cat, and he is dreaming. The question is, what he dreaming about? Many people will think he’s dreaming of gold. It’s so exciting. But if you want to understand the truth, he isn’t dreaming of gold. He’s dreaming of freedom. Animals and humans dream of freedom. Gold is cheaper than freedom. Freedom is what all humans and animals want.
My students enjoyed writing stories inspired by Dixit cards last week, but we ran out of time to share them with the whole class. An illustrated blog post seemed just the thing to capture the stories for later viewing and discussion!
My collage bag and I paid a visit to a colleague’s ESL class this morning for a guest lesson. In forty minutes, sixteen fantastic collages emerged, creating a buzz of creative excitement!
Joey’s Collage
Joey’s Collage
Joey’s Collage
Cassie’s Collage
Celia’s Collage
Rick’s Collage
Salman’s Collage
Shen’s Collage
Guillermo’s Collage
Jose’s 3-D Collage
Ryan’s Collage (Background print by Carlyle Raine)
To follow up a recent textbook unit on healthy lifestyles, I asked the students to make collages on the theme of relaxation. The resulting collages made me proud of their individuality, creativity, and colours!
Last semester, I tried using Dixit cards to encourage students to speak in class and the results were so inspiring that I repeated the lesson this term. The cards prompted the students to access deep stores of wisdom, insight, humour and personal meaning. Their presentations affected me significantly, and I was so proud of them.
Dixit card illustrated by Marie Cardouat
In this moment, I choose this card. In this card, we can see the clean sky, and the weather is sunny. And the umbrellas have all colours of the rainbow.
I think this card is like me because the different-coloured umbrellas are like how I use different attitudes or different faces to protect my tender heart. My heart is a little weak. So I have to use the different ways to protect me because I (am) afraid to (get) hurt.
The temperature is so high, and the people have to use the umbrellas to keep out the sunshine and protect their skin. The people will think, “This weather is too hot and I have ice-cream or iced-tea.”
Everybody uses different ways to protect their tender hearts because this tender(ness) cannot face the sunshine. I chose this card because it is same as me, so I love this card. (Sunny)
We can see this picture has a white candle on the table. In this picture, it is mostly dark. (The candle) is the only light in this dark. When the smoke goes up, the candle goes down and he dies.
The picture made me feel hope and made me feel a little sad because time is cold. (It doesn’t care) if you are a rich man or poor man, a teacher or student. Time doesn’t see you or feel you.
I think this picture is very important for us because I think we are like candles. We just have a short life, but we can be a light in this world. (Jerry)
This is a picture of a boy and a white horse. The boy (is) riding a white horse who is walking on the dry ground. He comes to eat and drink on the cliff. There is a beautiful oasis on the other side of the cliff. There is blue sky, sunshine, clean air, and a lot of trees.
The boy wants to go the oasis, but in front of him is a bottomless chasm. He thinks, “How can I follow the rainbow across the cliff?” Finally, through hard work and wisdom, he arrives on the other side.
The picture made me think, “When we (are) in trouble, don’t give up. We should think of the ways to solve it.” Rainbows come after the storm. The same is true of life. I chose this picture because it give(s) me a positive outlook on life. (Mandy)
This is my picture. My picture doesn’t have any people or animals, but it has many eggs. You can see small house(s) near the grass. Living in this house are very small animals like the ants. I like ants very much because they very work hard. They are small animals, but they can work hard and make these houses.
We have an opportunity to come to Canada. In my country, many students don’t have money and their parents can’t afford to send them to Canada. They are very poor, can’t go to school and can’t eat too many foods. We are not very rich, but we have a choice. We can eat two eggs for dinner. We need to use this opportunity to study in Canada to work hard.
In China, if you finish the high school we have a final exam. That exam is very important. We call it “Gaokao.” If you get good marks, you can go to a good university. If you maybe have a little mistake, you get little marks, so you lose. Maybe you can’t go to university. For me, I did not work hard enough on my studies, and I got very little marks. I think we need to work hard for the life.
My superhero is my classmate Sunny because I think Sunny very work hard for English. Not just for study, but for everything we need to work hard, like for jobs and even for getting a girlfriend. For example, why does R. have a girlfriend and why we don’t have a girlfriend? It’s because R. works hard for clean his face and clean his body.
Why did I choose this picture? I think this picture is very important and very good for me. If I watch this picture, I can think I need to work hard more. (Paul)
This picture is talking about the desert. Someone put this anchor in the desert. I don’t know why, but I think it wants to explain to us how to survive anywhere.
The picture makes me feel afraid because there’s no life in the desert, no water, no food. When I see this, I remember my country because we have a lot of desert. (Anas)
This is a merry-go-round. There are four kids playing on the merry-go-round. When I saw the picture, I recalled my grandmother. A very long time ago, I went to a fairground with my grandmother. Now my grandmother is dead. I very miss her.
When I saw the picture, I missed her. I believe each person has a special childhood. This time with my grandma, that was my best time. When I saw the picture, I missed her so much. It’s a very beautiful picture. (Haiking)
Joey’s Card “Enjoy being love. Love makes the world go around.”
Joey’s Card
Last week I facilitated a Valentine’s Day art workshop at the college where I teach ESL, and the students’ work delighted me with its playful quirkiness. The natural creativity that surfaces when people sit around a table covered with pictures, glitter glue, thread, markers, stickers, scissors, and ribbon is a joy to behold!
Shirley’s Card (with messages inside)
Kamilla’s Card
Shirley P.’s Card
Shirley P.’s Card
Shirley’s Card
Shen’s Card “I and my little good buddies are shocked.”
Jesse’s Card
The day after the workshop, I decided to utilize the leftover materials to repeat the activity with my class. Like the workshop attendees, these students made beautifully imaginative Valentine’s cards with messages both sweet and funny.
