Pink Assemblage

I mentioned I had been in a public studio for the last few years, during my blog void! This is one of the projects I kept from that time. I am fascinated by old photographs, snapshots and cabinet cards. I have a collection of old studio photographs, none of them are very collectable but I cannot bring myself to use the originals. They seem so irreplaceable. I am however a terrible hoarder and realize they are unseen and unused and I want them to be used.
 These more formal studio portraits were called Cabinet cards. I have placed this cabinet card along with objects and ephemera to create a story for this lady at her highly fringed armrest. The photo remains intact but she is surrounded by an imaginary life. The coral, starfish and tiny shells are real. More hording from walks as far back as our honeymoon 25 years ago. The side of the frame has a collage of vintage sea shell illustrations.

This lady seems nervous but wiry and energetic, I imagine her gathering seashells and seaweed specimens and struggling to sit still for the long exposure time of the portrait.