rhinestone annie.

"A labor of love is always a pleasure to see but a passion, well that can and often does leave us breathless."

Anne Collens is an artist from British Columbia who essentially turns ordinary looking objects into spectacular creations using collected bits of jewels, beads, etc. What makes the work even more fascinating is that the pieces are custom fitted to follow the grooves and curves of the objects. Collens worked in theater until the 1960s. When she left, she decided to make an "exotic skin" for her mannequin. This work alone took over 1,000 hours to complete!


Collens' work appeals to my tendency to collect odds and ends of various types and also to my interest in decorating things. I'm captivated by the idea of creating these incredible works by simply putting something over top of what is already there.

Unfortunately, this is where the trail ends. Her name doens't turn up in a search engine other than in the article that I read. But the article did mention the mannequin appearing on television and being on display in a museum so I guess I'll just have to keep looking!

I think I may have found my new idol.