Collaborators
Abhaya Thomas (Oregon)
Celeste Oster (Kansas)
Carmen Kennedy (Texas)
Tim Mateer (Texas)
Colette Dutton (Arkansas)
Delivery Sequence
Abhaya sends to Celeste
Celeste sends to Carmen
Carmen sends to Tim
Tim sends to Colette
Colette sends to Abhaya
PROGRESS GALLERY
March 4, 2026—Tim Mateer’s completed collage has arrived at headquarters.
February 14, 2026—Abhaya Thomas’s completed collage has arrived at headquarters.
Abhaya Thomas, February 14, 2026
I mailed my finished collage earlier this week. Added a few little finishing touches.
February 2, 2026—Colette Dutton’s completed collage has arrived at headquarters.
Colette Dutton, January 24, 2026
Hello all!
My collage barely resembles my “starter collage”.
This seems very appropriate as many additions seem to travel both forward and backward in time or history.
My final touches are simple – the anchors on the side. These are not to stop forward movement, but to steady “the proverbial boat” in our rocky weather, our world.
Notice also that Jane and Sally have gone past the hooks rather than their forward motion being stopped.
Thank you all for helping create this story, (which I could weave more into) with your imaginative art!
Your words are included to fill in more of this story, this journey.
The collage will be mailed to Berkeley, in a few days, when our winter storm has passed and the roads have cleared.
Colette
January 14, 2026—Carmen Kennedy’s completed collage has arrived at headquarters.
Carmen Kennedy, January 5, 2026
Created a travel altar dedicated to Frida Kahlo using a tin and some other bits included in Tim’s super fun box along with some of my Frida bits and pieces. Returned the box to Tim.
Received my finished starter from Celeste and absolutely love all the contributions. I made a couple of tweaks and will be mailing the finished collage this week.
January 7, 2026—Celeste Oster’s completed collage has arrived at headquarters.
Celeste, January 1, 2026
My starter collage came back to me looking great. I’m turning it in as is.
Celeste, December 13, 2025
I added some flowers and butterflies.
Tim Mateer, November 30, 2025
Colette’s start is on its way home. Played and played with it endlessly before committing to glue. Left a few loose edges…
Abhaya Thomas, November 26, 2025
I’ve received my starter collage back. It may need a couple little add ons but really, it looks great. I love what the group did with it.
Celeste, November 20, 2025
Here is a peek at my bits of Tim’s collage. Assuming I was successful in my second attempt at getting those tiny fish to stay where, I want them, I’ll be mailing Tim’s box of joy to Carmen tomorrow.
Abhaya Thomas, November 14, 2025
Celeste’s collage is on its way back to her.
Colette Dutton, November 14, 2025
I sent Abhaya’s collage back to her a couple days ago! I left it to be a surprise rather than picturing it here.
I added specific details to work with other artist’s additions and of course some unique bits of my own but felt like there was a pretty good flow to “end” with.
The result is fun, and it will be interesting to see if Abhaya adds further and in what way.
Full circle!
Celeste Oster, November 10, 2025
I’ve been working on Tim’s project and hope to send to Carmen by early next week.
Abhaya Thomas, November 6, 2025
I have Celeste’s collage in hand. We’re moving right along!
Colette Dutton, November 4, 2025
I have received Abhaya’s collage so will work on it in the next week or two.
Abhaya Thomas, November 1, 2025
Some work on Carmens collage. I didn’t want to invade too much of the beautiful green space that remained so I gave some figures silly hats and 3D party favors. I’ll mail this coming week.
Tim Mateer, October 31, 2025
Abhaya’s piece is on its way to Colette. I have received Colette’s. I added a shark, antler washi tape, photo corners, and ballerina Nina Sorokina.
Abhaya Thomas, October 29, 2025
I have Carmens collage on my table.
No work as of yet, October 29. I’ll probably dive in on Sunday. We are way ahead of schedule.
Carmen Kennedy, October 22, 2025
Received Colette’s collage and immediately started working on it as I needed a distraction. I love all the textures that Colette has made for us. Celeste’s add of the children in the boat is so sweet(reminds me of story time). My adds to Colette‘s collage include a bowl at the bottom, a teeny tiny Bodhisattva in a blue/green bubble, Native Americans (because the coffee filter edge reminded me of a TeePee and I wanted something to match those glorious clouds added by Abhaya), and geese in a semicircle. I added a UFO beneath the clouds and, then, at the top, I added a circle of water with fish. I used blue wasabi tape on the right side. Now it’s in the mail to Tim.
Abhaya Thomas, October 21, 2025
October 21 2025. Tims wonderful world of boxes was mailed this morning. On its way to you Celeste, have a blast!
Colette Dutton, October 21, 2025
I have Celeste’s collage in-hand, so have gone ahead and sent Carmen’s on to Abhaya. We are ahead of the game!
I utilized some of the emptier space at the top of Carmen’s collage with bright Gelli and handmade rubberstamp-printed shapes to balance and compliment the previous art.
Here is a sneak peek –
Tim Mateer, October 17, 2025
Celeste’s piece is in Colette’s domain. I added Ringo, another dancer a model wearing a Valentino Rose, a fish, a scrap of paper the color had a kinship with the circle, words from Errol Flynn’s biography.
Abhaya Thomas, October 14, 2025
Tim’s box of boxes arrived finally tonight at 6:30 pm. OCTOBER 14th. This is an incredibly fun project. The box is just full of possibilities. I cant wait to get started! Included just a sneak peak.
Celeste, October 14, 2025
I wanted Abhaya’s red shirt lady to have something to look at, so I tucked Sally and Jane up in the clouds looking back at her.
Carmen Kennedy, October 10, 2025
My additions to Abhaya’s collage include a portrait of a little girl by Velazquez echoing the shape of George Washington and wasabi tape behind the image of the girl to connect the blue band of color on the right as well as the winding road. Lastly, added detail of a painting by Frida Kahlo as a deer to interact with Abhaya’s larger specimen. Mailed to Tim.
Colette Dutton, October 8, 2025
Tim’s box of boxes is on the way to Abhaya and Carmen’s collage is in my hands. I used some of Tim’s ephemera and some of my own and added to the stash.
A teaser photo here includes some of my materials used and things I added to the box of tools and trinkets. The actual project looks so different – I am saving it for Abhaya to see for herself. The surprise of what it really looked like was so fun to see though Tim had said what was on the way to me.
Carmen Kennedy, October 1, 2025
Added image of a woman with a violin by the German artist, Max Beckmann, along with a detail of a collage by a fellow mail artist in Japan, Kiichi, to Celeste’s collage. Other bits and pieces were added to mirror the blue predominant color along with slight hints of pink and green in the starter. Celeste’s collage is on its way to Tim.
Celeste, September 30, 2025
Added a distressed bust of George Washington and an eagle on the right side, and put a little man on the sidewalk.
Tim Mateer, September 29, 2025
Checking in from Texas. The Box of boxes has found its way safely to Colette and I received Carmen’s start. The green paper is so beautiful has a great feel to it. My additions came quickly and it’s in the mail already. Added bits of bits of 100 year old paper, Roman statuary, another model…
Colette Dutton, September 22, 2025
I received Tim’s intriguing “Starter Collage” today. Thank you Tim!
I found many appealing elements to build upon and have some favorites. “Work” will begin soon.
Abhaya Thomas, September 21, 2025
September 20th.
Received Colettes starter yesterday and as much as I’d like to make this last a while I got started the next day! I’ll probably mail to Celeste by Wednesday.
Colette Dutton, September 15, 2025
I mailed my “Starter Collage” to Abhaya Thomas today.
What started as one idea, morphed into another, and other, finally simplifying it knowing that others would be adding to it and that I would have one more chance to add my work to it. Whew! Off and running.
Carmen Kennedy, September 15, 2025
I really love to use recycled materials in collages. Old postcards, calendars, advertisements and shopping bags were used as well as some handmade paper scraps.
Abhaya Thomas, September 8, 2025
Collage begins. No real theme here just a rather blank canvas. Eager to see what Celeste does. I’ll be mailing tomorrow September 9.
Celeste Oster, September 5, 2025
