Thursday, September 15, 2011

COUNTRY GIRL


CHAPTER 3
Growing up on a farm

I grew up on a farm w/ my 3 siblings- while the were off riding horses, I would sneak into the wood shop with farmer Al who would teach me how to use all of his power tools.  My favorite piece of machinery was the band saw.  I would spend everyday after high school cutting out wood shapes that I would later paint and create into art pieces.

As a young adult I was fortunate enough to interact with a group of Tramp artist from Troy NY.  I was fascinated with their unique technique of cutting and layering cut out pieces of orange crates to create depth and texture.

It is a combination of these 2 techniques that I have mastered over the years, that I use for the base of my mosaic forms.

TIP: cutting out wooden shapes is harder than it looks, like anything else there is an art to it that has taken me most of my life to perfect.

Anecdote: when strange looking farmers want to be your friend- talk to them, they might have something interesting to teach you! 

Friday, August 26, 2011

MY FAVORITE THINGS!


CHAPTER 2
 MY FAVORITE THINGS

I continued the tradition of walking the antique malls with my young son.  On one such outing, we had chosen an assortment of unique antique china dinner plates.  I gently spread them out on the counter for him to admire all the different colors and patterns, when the sales lady came over and commented on how wonderful they will look as a collection on our wall.  At that moment, my son yells out, “oh no, we don’t hang them, my mom is going to go home and break them!”  A horrified look crossed the woman’s face.  As she exclaimed, “OH NO!”  I was afraid that she wouldn’t sell me the plates.

What do I look for?
I am looking for good prices, of course, but also a plate with character.  My sister-in-law the CHEF will tell you that most foods look best on white, therefore most china is white!  So, I search out those plates with COLOR!  My favorite colors are the rich reds, 23 karat encrusted gold and warm, textured greens.  England makes the best china, I search out the Royal Albert Crown, and the Noritake from Japan.  Heritage Hill from Pennsyvania makes warm, earthy country inspired china, just to name a few of my favorites!

 I am asked all the time, how can you break these beautiful plates into pieces.  And the answer is, I don’t!  I carefully cut the plates into very even, rhythmic pieces and them neatly place the pieces all back together, keeping the integrity of each plate.
It is the history, the untold story hidden in each piece of china that fascinates me and then the retelling of these stories by combining them with other beautiful memories in my own unique way to create my work of art.

Back at the studio, I like to organize all my plates, my palette-on shelves by color and pattern.  I use every little piece of the china once I cut into a plate- preserving even the smallest gems for future work in plastic bags that I then organize, by color, in bins throughout my studio.  It is recycled art!

As a child, visiting my grandma Lily, I was in awe of her large rubber band balls and aluminum foil stacks- it was my first look into recycling and it made a huge impact on my life.  I have always been conscientious about excessive materials in our world and active in finding new ways to reuse discarded materials. They now call it repurposing and I am all about repurposing everything into art.

 The collecting and handling of the fine china is what makes my pieces so distinct.  My use of antique china is what provokes the past lives, history, and stories in my work.  For me it is the feel of each plate, the fine quality of the old china, the longevity of these fragile plates, the delicate crackling of the surface, that gets me excited and my creativity flowing.

Tip: When cutting a plate in even pieces begin in large chunks, think of the plate as a pie, slicing it first in half, then in fourth and so on.  Then go back and cut each pie wedge in half again until you have the desired sized piece.


anecdote:  NEVER mention that you are shopping for plates to mosaic, or they just might NOT sell them to you!

Friday, August 12, 2011

TREASURE HUNTING


CHAPTER 1
TREASURE HUNTING

My artistic journey began with a trip to the antique mall with my mom.
My mother has an amazing eye for treasure hunting.  She got me started as a young girl when we would spend the entire day at the local antique mall scavenging through aisles of junk to discover that one special treasure.  She opened the door for me into a glimpse of cultural history and gave me a heads start in developing an eye for collecting unique pieces.  This is where my art begins, with a visit to the flea market.  It is a voyage into the past as well as connection to my childhood.

I love shopping flea markets, those shops that you are afraid to walk into because they smell like old people and are so full of clutter -THAT is the place for me! I am almost guaranteed to find exactly what I am looking for, something CHEAP!


“What do I like to collect?”
Antiques have to speak to my soul.  Some seem to say, “Look at me, I’m for you!”


There are certain things that bring me back to my childhood.  #1Paint By Numbers paintings.  Paint by number kits allowed us all to think of ourselves as artists.  Introduced in the 50’s, these paint kits let everyone create their own masterpiece, that is exactly why I collected and painted them during my youth, and why I still draw on them for my inspiration.  #2Porcelain flowers because they remind me of  my Aunt Ida.  I can still see her collection of long stemmed porcelain roses in glass vases, on every table throughout her house.  Flowers are a motif that runs throughout my work in all forms.  And #3 ANGELS, my first collectable- a small porcelain angel with yellow hair, that I still treasure.   I have an extensive collection of angels, lined up on a shelf, watching over me!


And of course there are the plates!  My favorites being anything in warm tones.  It is challenging to find colorful plates because as my chef sister-in-law always tells me, food looks best on white & I think designers of fine china agree with her. But, of course, anything with flowers will get me excited too!  The plate has to be covered in color, very little white. I especially cherish those plates so worn that you can sense the formal family dinners in every detail.

TIPS: most of the time you can buy a set of plates for less than you can buy a single plate in the same pattern.  I NEVER spend more than $5.00/plate.

anecdote: 
When searching for treasures always remember that if at first you do not succeed- then physically switch the direction you are walking and see all the JUNK from a new perspective.

Monday, August 8, 2011

CHAPTER ONE


and the journey begins at the antique mall....

My mother has an amazing eye for treasure hunting.  She got me started as a young girl when we would spend the entire day at the local antique mall scavaging through aisles of junk to discover that ONE special treasure.  She opened the door for me into a glimpse of cultural history and gave me a heads start in developing an eye for collecting unique pieces.  This is where my art begins, with a visit to the flea market.  It is a voyage into the past as well as connection to my childhood.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Morning Sunshine!

my first post & I wonder if anyone will read it!
CHINAGIRL is the name of my book that I am writing about my life journey as an artist.
I am not a writer, so all your thoughts will be very helpful!
There will be lots of pictures- I am a visual girl and I prefer telling my stories through my art!
But, here I am so come back soon....