Here I am!... Finally!

Altered Art Plate-"Special Wishes"

Hi! I'm Rana, I love long walks on the beach...Just kidding(or not). OK my full name is Ranjina Collins, but my loved ones call me Rana, its easier...though it does mean Frog in Spanish...  I'm not Spanish (or a frog) I am actually not from around here (in California) I was born in Zambia (Africa) My father is East Indian and he met my mother there and had 3of 7 children there, and I am #2.

I remember traveling from Africa to the US..we could only pack a few things and I realized the one of the most important items my family packed  were albums of our treasured family photos. I was only 5 years old and I only had a few memories of my time there. But when my parents would show, my siblings and I, the photos and tell us stories of our family and the home that we left behind, it just keeps our memories alive and our heritage strong.

So here I am, now I'm the keeper of our family photos and I have the responsibility to my children to teach them about our family history and document our current lives and memories.

For several years now my husband has supported my habit of collecting photos,memorabilia, trinkets, and treasures and I thank God for him everyday.
My Husband(Jason), my children(JasonII-5yrs, Saatiyana-2yrs, and Jazzelyn-6months), are always keeping me motivated to create art. Capturing every precious moment I share with them, with my trusted camera by my side is pure joy! Then turning those photos into art is my passion!
I can always be found spending every spare moment in "Rana's Nerd Corner" , as my husband calls it, having an absolute blast doing what I love.
And now I'm here to share it with you! Finally! Here I am.