Collaboration for Celebrations Gallery

"We Stick Together", Robin Maria Pedrero and Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson

Robin and I have worked together in the past, and this year we decided to do it again as part of a collaborative show at Celebrations Gallery and Shoppes in Pomfret, CT. Ironically, Robin grew up in CT and now lives in FL, I grew up in MA and now live in FL. Robin and I have been friends and fellow artists for years, in fact it was her encouraging the folks at Celebrations that got me in the door!

We started out the birds piece with Robin taking the blank panel, painting a layer of her resist technique including branches, leaves and two silhouetted birds, and then handing it over to me. I added two more birds and branches in collage, some flowers and some postage stamps, and gave it back to her. She was then inspired to add more leaves, fruit and even a very subtle house in the far background. I love it! She gave it back to me and I was so happy with it that I just photographed it!

"Let Them Eat Cake", Robin Maria Pedrero and Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson

The Cake piece was started by me with a blank panel. It was Robin's idea to lay out a grid and have us each work in every other square. I covered the background with old recipes tinted with acrylic stain before laying down a pencil sketch on top of that. I did my underpainting of the cake in all of the squares, but I only collaged in every other. I then handed off the piece to Robin who added paint, charcoal, birds and branches and painted her panels to be harmonious with mine, forming a complete cake image. She mimicked some of the collage patters in her squares to keep the continuity, this work super because the piece looks like a complete image and not a checker board. Our work is interacting with each other!

I truly enjoy working with Robin, it was fun collaborating and even having lunch once or twice to discuss the project!