I often hear people say that they are too old to follow their dreams. Bah! There is so much beauty in the world, so much of it growing richer with each day that passes. I always try to see each day with the eyes of a child to balance out the grown up me that feels confined in my cubicle. I will always nurture my curiosity and never stop exploring. Lately I have been drawn to collage, totally out of the blue. I think it has something to do with my love of music. I have been seeing bursts of colors in the notes and I want to catch them and lay them down in compositions on paper. I have been having flashbacks to a room I stepped into at The Met years ago. The walls were lined with small and intimate collages that were so breathtaking. The memory of them has left me curious about the creator. Her name was Anne Ryan. She was a self-taught writer, painter, and print maker who began her creative work at the age of fifty. She took up collage at the age of fifty eight and died six years later. How inspiring is that? Imagine if she had given up out of fear that she was too old? Instead she chose to follow her passion and out spilled 400 beautiful pieces of work that the world is still enjoying. I took the day off yesterday to rummage through the incredible collection of paper at New York Central Art Supply. I was swept away by the colors and textures and the 40's music filling the air. This weekend I am locking myself up to play. I have no idea if anything decent will come out of me, but I don't care. It is all about the journey.
Anne Ryan, Untitled, 1953