Go to my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/brookeschmidt

I work in a little white studio in my backyard in Pennsylvania surrounded by boxes and trays of book words, cocoons, bird skulls, feathers, tiny bottles, pieces of garnet, leaves, wings, chunks of beeswax and measuring tapes. My degree is in painting but I mainly work nowadays on paper ~ sewing, collaging, poem-forming and sculpting from unusual materials.

My altered books include my narrative prose and poetry, often gleaned from within the framework of what is found inside the book; finding my words as part of a larger story already told, much like we do in life.

Some of my work deals with brevity and solitude and the awkwardness of life, while other works are about connection, cycles, fullness, beauty. The beauty of living, however it is done. I love using objects and images that are symbolic of these ideas, like wishbones, feathers and ocean waves.

My polaroids are taken with an SX-70 Polaroid Land Camera with mostly expired Polaroid 600 film. Instant film delights me and the hunt, capture and whirr of the process is deeply fulfilling. I photograph my daily life and travels.

Convo me with any questions or comments; I'd love to hear from you!

You can also find me at my blog, alwaystimefortea-brooke.blogspot.com/

xo Brooke