One of the most common questions I get about my collages is, "How long does it take you to do a piece"? I've written about this before. In a way, it's an impossible question to answer in generic terms. I have some half-finished pieces in my studio that are years old. And it's difficult to factor in the collection time for all the vintage magazines and the days, months, years, that some elements sit around "collecting dust". I did a 9/11 memorial piece once that came together in about 20 minutes. This piece, entitled "Tim was distracted by thoughts of holiday travel" (8" x 12"), came together fairly quickly. I had had the train station element sitting around the studio for a while; but the swimmer element was one that I JUST came across last week when paging through a 1951 LIFE magazine. When I put the two elements together as a quick "experiment", I realized that they were "meant for each other". The two green orb additions strongly integrate the two elements. I also carefully and deliberately worked on the detailed placement of the two elements, so that the crowd over his head, sort of suggests a continuation (integration) of the lower element with the upper element.
