I have worked with all types of textiles, threads, woven pieces and found vintage objects in my artwork, home decor, and clothing design for the past thirty years. My personal dedication to sustainability manifests primarily through upcycling, where pre-existing materials can take on a new life in my art as well as minimize our carbon footprint. I pay little attention to the traditional function of materials and like to tweak things to create an effect with a purpose to amuse and enthuse. Working in the medium of collage allows me to shake up and reinterpret the associations between the materiality of the physical trinkets we collect throughout our lives and our memories or experiences with them. In this way, I blend the past with the present to make something fresh and novel.
About
Recently my focus has turned to a concept I describe as 21st-century folk-art dolls. This series, The Folks Edgy Collection, was inspired by a recent visit to a Florida junk store, where I was intrigued by a group of antique, headless, and armless fabric dolls. This project, which references feminism and diversity, tells a much different story than that of the dolls’ original 20th-century purpose, which was to entertain young girls during the Victorian era.
My process begins with a simple eye detail or a textural hair concept. Next, I create a drawing of the head and face, then choose a color scheme from my collection of global vintage and washed linen fabrics. I make up a distinct personality for each doll as I go along.
Attaching the head is always a challenge because the bodies are so old, and some require additional glue and hand embroidery. I am fascinated by these delicate, time-worn objects with their original stains and tears. The new stitches become part of the piece’s design — like mended holes in salvaged sweaters or socks — resulting in an eccentric universe of functional- art pieces.