During garage sales, families haul their histories out onto their driveways. As I attended these garage sales throughout the Casa Blanca neighborhood on Saturday mornings, I would meet the families, hear their stories, and find objects among their things that could serve as canvases for their portraits. Casa Blanca is a humble place, yet so rich in history, which is ingrained not only in its residents, but also its objects.

These old car parts, cheap appliances, dinged furniture pieces, and endless clothing items were cheap cast-offs to the owners, but still hold value in the story they tell of that owner. To associate a person so deeply with these items as to draw their portraits on them falls short in ways, but it is a strong physical representation of how we make an impression on our objects and surroundings and how they impress us.

Author Nikki Grimes responded to each portrait and person with a one-page poem.

Price: $1800