collage landscapes using palm bark

I'm a mixed media/collage artist located in Houston, Texas. A dear friend of mine is always bringing me "stuff" she thinks I can use in my artwork. A few years ago she showed up at my door like the cat who had just caught a mouse, proudly displaying her latest find - a few pieces of thin palm bark she found in the parking lot of Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas.  The bark sat in my studio for at least a year, staring me in the face every time I walked in the room- challenging me to  use it. I'd pick it up - feel it - place it on a piece of paper or canvas - mull it over in my mind and then put it back. This went on for - like i said - about a year. I can't remember  what finally clicked with me but I had recently bought several 6x6x1.5" square canvases (I love small things) and started to collage torn pieces of beige paper that was used to pack my supplies orders. As i torn and glued the pieces down I started to think of the edges representing  mountains or just rough terrain. When dry I brushed a little watered down brown paint to catch the edges. I then used some wallboard tape painted gold from my collage supplies as my next layer - kinda reminded me of a fence or barrier of some type. then i took my palm bark and started to stretch and tear and glue as another layer. i used the natural form and added the bits and pieces that would fall to create what i feel is underbrush or cattails - birds flying out of brush. anyway, here are my nine creations.  I used every bit of palm bark that i had and it has taken me a full year  to find some more. I'll continue the story of the quest to find more "just right" palm bark in my next posting.