Found Object Assemblage with River Theme — Poetry Assemblage with Nature Theme — Bookshelf Assemblage with Poetry

This found-object assemblage centers around a river theme, serving as a frame for an antique stereoscope photograph of a man rowing a boat along the St. Lawrence River. He is near Montmorency Falls nine miles below Quebec, in fact. Along with the photo, you'll spy a collection of items—a well-weathered piece of bark, equally weathered twine, a Canada goose feather resting in an antique medicine bottle, and bits of dried moss wedged in among birch back and book bundles created from a work of fiction published in 1909.

The backdrop for this scene is a poem (author unknown) about the St. Lawrence River. The complete poem is provided on the back of the assemblage, and it reads:

”Fair St. Lawrence! What poet has sung of its grace
As it sleeps in the sun, with its smile-dimpled face
Beaming up to the sky that it mirrors! What brush
Has e'er pictured the charm of the marvellous hush
Of its silence; or caught the warm glow of its tints
As the afternoon wanes, and the even-star glints
In its beautiful depths? And what pen shall betray
The sweet secrets that hide from men's vision away
In its solitude wild? 'Tis the river of dreams;
You may float in your boat on the bloom-bordered streams,
Where its islands like emeralds matchless are set,
And forget that you live; and as quickly forget
That they die in the world you have left; for the calm
Of content is within you, the blessing of balm
Is upon you forever.”

Along the top of the assemblage is a line from the poem, which reads "Tis the river of dreams."

The assemblage is set within an antique sewing machine drawer with intricate detailing. It measures 5" x 14" and is 3.75" deep, and it is designed to be displayed on a bookshelf or table with your other treasures, or displayed on a wall (fitted with wire for hanging).

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https://www.etsy.com/shop/RobynMartinsArt



MY ARTIST STATEMENT—Painting is a daily ritual for me, as I continue to discover ways to express myself through art. My goal is to create artwork that represents how I see the world around me—or how I hope it could be, a place where mercy, benevolence, and peace are commonplace and can be found around any corner, under any tree, or beside any stream. At the same time, I desire to create meaningful work that others forge a deep connection to and bring into their own home as a unique expression of who they are.