Fragile Times - Monique Martin

Fragile Times

Collage - mostly magazine pages

These pieces are part of my mini collection commenting, sometimes in a humorous way, about our time during Covid.
Each piece has a butterfly to represent our fragility at this time, and our transformation to this new way of living.
Each piece also has a watch or clock to represent when we had more time or less time, depending on how you look at it.

I am Fragile 2 x 2”, 5cm x 5cm Collage Can you spot the following... Two Clocks Rabbit Fleur-de-lys Turtle Flamenco dancer Stone building Watch gears Two geese flying Ruby




Fragile in its Complexity 2 x 2”, 5 x 5cm Collage Take time to enjoy the environment around you. Feel earth beneath your feet, gaze into the sky, splash in the water. Take a moment to reflect on your impact on this world both large and small. Our time on this earth is limited and fragile, celebrate each day, each moment, each sunrise, each sunset. SOLD






Flight Time 2 x 2”, 5cm x 5cm Collage The butterflies in this collage piece are used a symbol for the fragile state of the human condition during this unique time. We are tentative to go outside, our normal routines are disrupted and changing daily. The unknown outside home, is like the caterpillar having to change into a chrysalis. The caterpillar can’t avoid change, it is rendered defenceless by becoming a chrysalis, we cannot avoid the changes either and sometimes feel defenceless. The fragile wing on the butterfly is reminiscent of the fragility we all feel right now when we leave home. As humans in order to grow, we have to change, do a metamorphosis to be able to survive and return to a semblance of normal. Like a butterfly we can change, and emerge stronger and better at the end of all of this.




Trapped in the Fragile Hands is Time 2 x 2”, 5cm x 5cm Collage This pieces is about all of us that have ever experienced time moving too slowly or too quickly. People moving to a new city, new job or waiting for an injury to heal feel time in a powerful way. We all felt time differently during lockdown of covid and I think time will be thought if differently from this time forward.




A Fragile Ocean 2 x 2”, 5cm x 5cm Collage Mother Earth is fragile as we that live on it. Be gentle with yourself and others today.
SOLD	SOLD





I am Fragile Again 2 x 2”, 5cm x 5cm Collage Can you find ... -Postcard invitation from my nest series -Two hearts (maybe not the whole thing) -The French word (je)




Fragile Harvest 2 x 2”, 5cm x 5cm Collage



The Fragile and Fleeting World of Play 2 x 2 inches. 5 x 5cm Collage Can you spot your favorite stuffy from childhood in this mini collage series about play? I so enjoyed putting these all together. The colours of childhood are special. Beanie Baby collections are both priceless and expensive. Can you find the blue elephant? Frog? Wise owl? Transformer? Matryoshka?








Monday, Monday... What day is it anyway?? Working from home has shifted our perspective on time and our work flow. People sleep in, they work odd hours. Most people can’t leave their homes, there is nothing to do and this exacerbates our lack of normalcy, not to mention that some kids are at school but still at home.
	Monday, Monday... What day is it? Collage 2.5 x 2.5"


Covid Has Turned the World Upside Down Maybe the break from consumerism will turn the world right side up again, maybe we needed a reboot. 2 x 2 inches. 5 x 5cm Collage
	Covid has turned the world upside down Collage 2.5 x 2.5"



	At least we took the time to smell the roses, or did we? Collage 2.5 x 2.5"

Below are larger collages, still small but not super small

Can't wear lipstick, nowhere to go, I guess I will just watch the news Collage 4 x 4"	No amount of musing over coffee or tea could make sense of all that was happening Collage 3.5 x 4"

Toilet Paper... Really??? Collage 4 x 4.5"	We found out... you don't forget how to ride a bike Collage 2.5 x 3"

And we cooked...Oh boy did we cook Collage 5.5 x 5"	We sang, we listened, we played, we danced Collage 5.5 x 6"

The Stars Continued to Shine... and we watched them Collage 5 x 5"	We decided our nests needed some upgrades, especially if we worked from home Collage 5 x 5"

We looked at to the past for an answer to the present Collage 5 x 6"	We had fun inside our bubbles Collage 3 x 7"

We all kept busy on our phones.. what did they do with their time during the Spanish Flu we wondered Collage 3 x 3.5"	The path of Covid has twists and turns, one minute this and another minute that information Collage 4.5 x 4.5"

We went out tot he garden... time and again Collage 5 x 2.5"	We counted breaths instead of minutes Collage 7.5 x 3"

Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh took us back in time to when life was simple Collage 4 x 7.5	We read and we read Collage 4 x 5"

We armchair traveled Collage 6 x 4"	We armchair traveled Collage 5 x 5.5"

We spent some 'crazy hours' with our family Collage 9.5 x 5"	A bientôt… j’espère Collage 12 x 6"

We went to our garden ... time and again Collage 7 x 5"	No lipstick required Collage 3.5 x 3"

We crossed our fingers, sharpened our pencils and hoped that our financial boat stayed afloat Collage 5 x 5"	We noticed the little things Collage 5 x 4"
Working from home became a 24hr job. It was always there. Collage 4.5 x 5"	And we played… Covid19 Collage 4.5 x 5"

We played games to pass the time…Covid19 Collage 3.5 x 4.5"	We realized the most important thing is spending time with those we love… Covid19 Collage 4 x 4"

Covid… The ever-moving target Collage 4 x 4"	Covid… The ever-moving target Collage 6 x 6"

We all just needed a sign that this would end…Covid19 Collage 5 x 7"	We sanitized everything we could…Covid19 Collage 4 x 4"

We couldn’t connect in person, we had to stand alone because covid monopolized life and we were never sure which phase we were in Collage 4 x 4.5"	Everything was upside down…Covid19 Collage 5 x 3.5"

The Vaccine… our life preserver and shot in the arm Collage 4.5 x 4.5"	We spent time walking through nature… Covid19 Collage 6 x 3"

Covid - Fisherman's Friend Collage 4 x 3"	Love Through the Window Collage 4 x 2"