New Orleans has always been one of my favorite cities. It's soul has spoken to me from the first visit many years ago. One of the things that I was particularly struck by were the altars that many local residents have in their homes... a compelling collection of candles, icons, stones, pictures, and so on arranged along a mantle piece, covering a small table in the front hallway, or perhaps crowding the top of a dresser in the bedroom. Some are obvious voodoo altars, some have a more traditional religious flavor, others are a combination of the two or merely a shrine to family. Regardless of their focus, these shrines fascinated me. They are talsimans as well as a unique form of encouragement to be mindful of what we value in our lives.

My work in a battered women's shelter with displaced women and children taught me the value of having touchstones to help us navigate in the world, something to ground us when our sense of place has been disrupted. The notion of being able to somehow gather those things that represent comfort, connect us with a sense of self and carry them with us through upheaval or transition inspired me to produce a collection of assemblages in the form of personal shrines. Some of these works were done as gifts, some as comissions, others were donated to local charitable organizations for auction at fundraising events. A small number were created simply as pieces of art for gallery placement.

I have included a selection of my favorites here. I do not have any prefabricated pieces for sale, but personalized pieces are available. Please email me at patti@eclectic-art.net for details and pricing information.