How long have you been creating?

I've been creating as long as I can remember. As a child, I loved to draw, color and paint. By my early teens I was designing logos, signs, flyers, etc. for paying customers. To this day, I still do contract design work when opportunity and time allow. I have dabbled (both lightly and heavily), in many different arts and crafts forms over the years and have instructed arts & crafts classes since I was a teenager, 30 years ago. For 8 years, I designed my own line of jewelry and sold it through galleries and boutiques. I have been doing my collage art using recycled materials for the last several years.

What are your media of choice?

I have become completely enthralled with all kinds of paper and the limitless world of collage. I am especially keen on using recycled paper and other flat 'found' materials in my work. There's a standing joke in our household that if it's flat and not nailed down, it will end up in one of my collages.

What are you motivations for creating?

I don't know that I have any specific "motivations for creating," in the strict definition of that term. It's more simply that I MUST create, and pretty much on a daily basis. If I go for more than a week or so without working on some kind of creative endeavor, I become a little out of sorts. And the longer I go without doing something creative, the worse it becomes. Sounds like the definition of an addiction, if you ask me! LOL. Seriously though, I guess the simple answer is that creating is such a key part of my soul's essence that when deprived of that process, I suffer. So, to keep myself happy and fulfilled, I just keep on creating. And now that I am seeing such success in the sale of my work, especially online, I feel compelled to keep on with what I'm doing, ever reaching for new creative heights.

What other artists or movements inform your work?

Oh, to have more time to keep abreast of what's going on in the world of art! When I do have a chance to see what's going on, I usually browse the places where I sell to see what my fellow artists are up to. I especially enjoy EBSQ and Art By Us. I also follow the SRA and Mixed Media sections of Ebay's Art category closely since I sell there on a daily basis. I am a member of Art Divas, an Ebay community group with a fantastic bunch of fellow artists who inform and encourage one another in their pursuits. I also belong to a couple of collage artists organizations and try to touch base with them fairly regularly. Ezines and trade publications keep me up to date on trends in the artist's world.

What do you find visually stimulating right now?

Bold use of color has always been visually stimulating to me but lately I find myself drawn to works that incorporate the juxtaposition of discordant materials, colors and/or textures.

What's the last book you read?

I have just re-read, for about the sixth time, The Power Of Now, by Eckhart Tolle. It's a must read for anyone wanting to develop a sense of inner peace in these difficult times. In clear, simple terms it teaches how to live in the Now, without dwelling on what's happened in the past or fearing what the future holds.

Salvage art is growing in popularity; what's your approach to recycling in your work?

Recycling is the KEY component of the Joanna Banana Design Originals line. Without the recycling "angle" my work would not exist and it is what differentiates my work from the work of many other artists. I get a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction from taking something, however small, that would otherwise end up in our landfills and incorporating it into a piece of art that someone will treasure. And I really enjoy the challenge of continually finding 'new' old things to add to my work. I have learned to train my brain to look at things in a completely different way, always with a question in the back of my mind asking, "Can I use this somehow in my work?" It's also a real challenge to find stuff to use that is fairly small since my work is, shall we say, on the diminutive side.

What would you like your fellow EBSQ artists and our patrons to know about you and/or your work?

Well, they might be interested to know that I rarely EVER plan my work. I usually work completely spontaneously with no preconceived idea of what I will do or how a piece will turn out. I just go with the flow and stop when it feels right. Occasionally, I might go back to a piece to add a little something extra, but that doesn't happen often.

I'd also like my fellow EBSQ artists and collectors to know how much I appreciate their interest and support of my creative efforts. Since starting to sell online about 2 years ago, I have had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful people through my art. The generosity and friendship that has been shown me is truly heartwarming and serves to fuel me onward to, hopefully, even greater creative challenges. Thank you.