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The title of this fifth collage is Conversion: My Father, the Architect. This has been the most explosively creative, but trickiest piece yet. I have a lot of emotions wrapped up in this piece; as with most things human, it's not straightforward OR simple. What do you think of when I say 'Conversion'? Do I want to marry a man and have to convert to Catholicism so his mother will like me? Have I gone off the deep end and joined the Spaghetti Monster Cult? Have I become one of those crazy conservative fanatical Christians?

I admit the term 'born again Christian' was a stumbling block for me. I now call myself a recovering Evangelist (which is bound to piss off a few people). Bottom line, though, is that my personal relationship with God has enriched my life in ways I never could have believed 'before'. He likes to speak to us in the language we can hear, and for me, that is beauty and order. He reminds me of His presence in the intricate detailing of antique brass doorknobs, the framing of a street scene, the correct use of the semi colon. Logic and beauty and order and overflowing detail serve as a divine language to me - I can appreciate the 'otherness' in this world's creation. I'm learning (painfully slowly) that relationships are like houses, too. Built divinely, added to extensively, torn down, broken down, built up again but always growing, always worth something. So translating this impression of God as Divine Architect through collage is really a wonderful, positive thing - despite any hurt that came after conversion. I've done a faint and partial architectural drawing of an expansive church, then paint in a pale and glowing sky. I'll build my own church with photographs of local sanctuaries, taken from many different angles and pieced together for an Escher-like walk around the block. There's sure to be some creative choices you'll wonder about, but that's a good thing...gets people talking about the right thing. Cheers!