Voyage Series This body of work is the result of a year spent in Bordeaux, France with my husband and two children. After discovering a huge stack of newspapers in our otherwise barren apartment, it seemed natural to buy some flour and water (symbolic of the baguette) and begin the process of creating the black and white STICKS. I wanted to create something out of nothing. I had no art supplies with me and was eager for the challenge of working with whatever happened to present itself. In many ways this idea was also the basis of our experience as a family. We arrived with very little, and it was up to us to create a life for ourselves. THE TEA BAGS represent an increment of time. Sharing a cup of tea also became a way of connecting with others. The verb groupings represent not only the process of learning, but also how one remembers, and in this case some of the verb groupings became a diary of the experience. The tea bags were also a means of creating a sense of order. Adjusting to a new language and a new way of functioning in an unfamiliar society often felt chaotic. THE NEWSPAPERS enabled me to document a variety of influences (politics, fashion, food, sport, the arts etc.) that impacted everyday life. They also place this particular experience in the context of history and time. THREE SHAPES occur in the two paintings titled ‘Palper, Toucher, Sentir’ (to feel, to touch, to smell) and ‘Ecouter, Lire, Parler’ (to listen, to read, to speak). The circles were inspired by my own process of learning and by observing my husband’s process. The three shapes represent the concept that the decisions we made yesterday effect today, and today’s decisions will effect tomorrow. Sorcha (sor.ah.kah) Meek, Spring 2010