"…I dream patchwork dreams of collage,
altered shrines and assembled things.
I dream of glitter, glue,
angels on high, and guardians down low
equipped with fairy wings…"

There are neither words, nor order, appropriate to my giving thanks for all of the energy, enthusiasm, inspiration, talent, tenacity, and encouragement that has gone into making variaZioNE, the group – and this website – a reality.

That, having been said, I’ll do my best.

First of all, I thank God for giving me this grand task of having so many things to be thankful for, and for reminding me that when I feel a little lost or confused – GRATITUDE is a great place to start.

Next, this group and all of my efforts in mixed media art promotion are done in memory of my mother, El Collie Kress (November 4, 1947 – April 17, 2002). I spent my childhood surrounded by art, and collage and assemblage art in particular. Our car was collaged. Our television and stereo was collaged. We had wall sized collages hanging in nearly every room. My earliest memories are of my mother, leaning over me, her hands pressed down on top of mine, pressing an image to a canvas, in the shared act of creating art. To say that she provided the foundation for my future art aspirations, and more importantly – art appreciation - would be an understatement. Thanks, Mom.

My family has and continues to put up with an inordinate amount of “distraction” on my part, which I happily attribute to the beginnings of this ZNE venture. (Though, I am not so sure that “happiness” would be their same adjective, when describing the situation.) However, were it not for their support, encouragement, and patience – ZNE simply would not be. My husband Richard steps in whenever needed with technical advice, and help with the legal wrangling of running a small business. Both my son RJ and step-daughter Abigail have joined me in collage making and ATC Swaps. Most importantly, all three have been more than generous in sharing my time and attention with ZNE, and I am forever hopeful that my resulting satisfaction and joy has made it worth it for them.

Now, if I were to start naming the ZNE members who have lifted me up, buoyed my spirits, sent great ideas, enthusiasm and encouragement my way – you’d have a list that was 1,000+ members strong, and that is the absolute truth. If you want to know who these people are, do a search on eBay for ZNE, and you’ll see an awful lot of them, listing their art and goodies – right there! I have added some links here to ZNE members who have been particularly helpful, along the way. However, the three that I know I must make mention of here, are my wonderful fellow artists and ZNE group moderators – Emma Fashokun, Kris Hubick, and Julie O’Neil. I am proud and honored to call these three talented women my friends.

Emma Fashokun is a lovely English woman, originally from St. Ives, married to a prince of a husband and raising four beautiful daughters (in Texas of all places). With a background like that, who needs inspiration to create art? Emma brings her lovely wit and British charm to all her ZNE interactions, and she is the consummate organizer and cheerleader of our ZNE theme weeks. Emma, thanks for everything you do!

Kris Hubick sold me my very first ACEO/ATC, and I joke with her that she should warn people before doing so that their life will change forever! Kris is not only an incredible artist, but she is a delightful presence on the boards, always kind and always willing to share with and support her fellow members. I’ve yet to have heard a harsh word uttered by the wonderful Miss Kris, and for that I am both amazed, and appreciative. She’s like a little sister to me, still, I know – I likely have a lot to learn from her. Thanks for being willing to teach me, Kris – you know I adore you!

Julie O’Neil is absolutely my sister in spirit, although we do differ ever so slightly in our html knowledge, and thank goodness for that, because it meant our first site was a functioning website! Julie is an extraordinary artist in her own right, and shortly after she stepped up to take on coordination of the first delightful ZNE Cercles D’Ame collaborative collage project – we knew she would make a great moderator! During our first year, Julie was regularly on the boards handling moderation duties, cheering us on, providing inspiration, and creating yet more art – all the while. For these things, I am both honored that she was willing to take on these tasks, and indebted for the grace and efficacy with which she performed them.

So. There you go. In terms of gratitude, I truly believe it is like air - life gets easier when you remember to breathe it in, and breathe it out. My list of gratitude is ever changing and ever growing. I hope that all of you will bear with me when I forget to be vocal about that fact. In the meantime, know that I dream patchwork dreams of collage, altered shrines and assembled things. I dream of glitter, glue, angels on high, and guardians down low equipped with fairy wings. And because of ZNE, I now know that dreams come true.

Thank you.

Xo - Chel

"NEPTUNE IN THE 7TH"
by El Collie Kress

(Mother of ZNE Founder, Chelise Stroud Hery)