Archive for the ‘My artwork’ Category
Cindy on February 5th, 2012
Crafts make us feel rooted, give us a sense of belonging and connect us with our history. Our ancestors used to create these crafts out of necessity, and now we do them for fun, to make money and to express ourselves.” –Phyllis George
Who was she? It’s likely I’ll never know. I found her photograph (at left) in an old album that once belonged to my mom’s stepmother, affectionately known as Granny Bee.
Bee grew up on a farm in Greenup, Illinois — the “Village of Porches” — and chapters of her childhood could have been lifted from Ray Bradbury’s nostalgic short stories. But she died when I was in my teens, and I don’t remember very much about her relatives.
The family album Bee passed down to my mother contains a gorgeous batch of sepia-toned photographs, some dating back to the Civil War. Many are marked with the names of photography studios in Chicago or Aurora, Illinois; others are from studios in New Hampshire. Sadly, the people in the photographs are not identified. Not a single name or date is penciled anywhere.
Bee had no children of her own, and since I’m her only “grandchild” by marriage, the fate of this album is now in my hands. And while Bee’s ancestors aren’t technically mine, I still feel a certain responsibility toward them.
I often use vintage photographs in my mixed-media artwork. In particular, the dour-looking “mystery woman” in Bee’s album has fascinated me for years. Her deadpan expression is so classic, and so charming, that I’ve used copies of her image in several of my projects. Just for starters, she’s worn a poinsettia on her head for humorous Christmas cards and a witch hat on Halloween party invitations.
This week I finished a more fitting tribute to her: a mixed-media “reliquary” of found objects. (Please click the image at the far left for a larger view.) The word remember is incorporated throughout the piece, along with scraps from an old hymnal, sewing notions, vintage fabrics, a rusted picture frame, feathers and twigs.
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“I like photographs that leave something to the imagination.” — Fay Godwin
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I’ve even tried to give my mystery woman a proper name. “Isabel” or “Esmeralda” both seem to suit her — yet somehow I sense I’m on the wrong track.
Early on, I tried to investigate. But even before her memory was fogged by dementia, my mother couldn’t recall the name of the relative in the photo — nor could she determine her kinship to our beloved Granny Bee.
So I suppose I’ll have to settle for the stories conjured by the photo in my own imagination.
Regardless, I love how crafting something with my hands sets my mind whirling in a thousand different directions. And I love how art helped create my special relationship with the incomparable “Isabel Esmeralda” — a relationship that reaches across time and never stops delighting me.
If she were alive today, would the mystery woman be honored — or appalled — at being the center of attention in my art pieces? I wonder if I could make her smile. — Cindy La Ferle
Cindy on January 12th, 2012
I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way — things I had no words for.” ~Georgia O’Keeffe
One of the many things I appreciate about my artist-architect husband is that he’s always encouraging me to push my own artwork to the next level. Given that our family has been in a crisis mode (my mother’s health) for the past year, it’s not easy to make time for art, let alone enter our work in competitions.
Regardless, earlier this month Doug printed out the forms for the Anton Art Center‘s 38th Michigan Annual Art Exhibition and nudged me to enter one of my new pieces.
I’d been working on a mixed-media assemblage (mounted on canvas) that was inspired by a post-Civil War photograph I found in my Granny Bee’s family album. The woman in the photograph isn’t identified, so, sadly, I have no idea who she is. Yet her pensive expression and confident pose always intrigued me.
In my assemblage, the woman’s photo is surrounded by found objects — twigs, feathers, part of an old leather Bible cover, and vintage fabrics. In the background, you’ll also see a scrap from a notebook of shorthand that Doug brought home from a thrift shop.
Titled “The Importance of Ancestors,” this piece pays homage to the “stuff” we leave behind — and how tokens from the past can influence our memories of a person. It also plays with the idea of having roots and family trees.
Thanks to Doug, I entered the piece in the Michigan Annual Exhibition, and was pleased to learn this week that it was accepted. The opening reception is on January 27th, 6 – 9pm. The exhibit runs through February 24th.
One final thought: Athletes typically have their own cheering sections, but most artists and writers labor in solitude. If you practice any of the arts for business or pleasure, it’s important to have close friends and advocates who keep you encouraged and inspired. (Of course, a supportive spouse is invaluable.) Cherish those people — and try to schedule more time with them. Avoid the naysayers who trample your dreams or spend most of their free time watching mindless games and shows on TV.
Seek out the company of other creatives, and be sure to applaud their efforts and talents. — Cindy La Ferle
– For a larger view, please click on each photo. –
Cindy on January 1st, 2012
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce
I’m always cheered by the thought of a new year and another chance to start over. Blank pages used to scare me, but I welcome them now.
Last year brought incredible challenges involving my widowed mother’s healthcare, leaving me little time or energy to devote to writing projects. At the end of the day, sometimes, I would head up to the art studio to work on collages, greeting cards, or mixed-media constructions.
In the process, I learned that making art both relaxed and uplifted me — and appealed to a part of my soul that writing never could. Of course, I will always write, one way or another, but right now I’m excited about the possibility of projects that combine illustration with text. I want to push beyond the creative goals I set for myself years ago. It’s time to begin again.
I hope your new year is off to a great start, and that you’re excited by creative possibilities and dreams. I hope you find what makes your heart want to sing, or dance, or paint, or draw, or write. — Cindy La Ferle
–Original greeting card collage by Cindy La Ferle–
Cindy on December 12th, 2011
Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” ~Norman Vincent Peale
Give me any holiday, and I’ll make a greeting card for it. No matter how crazy-busy life gets, I like to think of card-making as instant art therapy. It’s a terrific way to unwind after a long day, and I can vouch for the fact that it’s incredibly easy (and economical) to do. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Gather a batch of recycled greeting cards or magazine clippings that strike your fancy. Or, dig through your own family photo albums for funny vintage shots — and jot down a clever message or sentiment that works with them. (If the relatives in the photo are still breathing, you might want to ask their permission to immortalize them on a funny card. Otherwise, you’re good to go.)
Next, make a list of craft supplies you’ll need to assemble and complete your cards.
Michael’s, the craft store, carries packages of blank cards with envelopes in all sizes. While you’re at it, pick up a few bottles of glitter, glue sticks, stickers, and other trims that work with the theme you’ve chosen. Clear space at your kitchen table, then grab your scissors … and start playing! There’s a certain charm in a crafty, handmade card — so don’t feel you have to aim for glossy perfection. (That’s what Hallmark is for.)
Michael’s also carries a variety of stamps with greeting card messages for any holiday or season, or your can print your own sentiments. The card shown above is one of two designs I’ve been working on this season. I also purchased several packages of star confetti to sprinkle inside each card, to carry out the “Christmas magic” theme. –CL
Cindy on August 31st, 2011
The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for an artist. The beginner’s humility and openness lead to exploration. Exploration leads to accomplishment. All of it begins at the beginning, with the first small and scary step.” — Julia Cameron
Remember the late-summer thrill of buying notebooks, Magic Markers, and bright yellow Ticonderoga pencils for a new year of grade school? And who could forget the incomparable scent of a fresh box of Crayolas? For me, the ritual of buying school supplies softened the hard reality of summer’s end.
Even if your kids have flown from the nest, the beginning of the new school year still inspires personal growth and renewal.
Is there a dormant passion you’d like to rekindle? A hobby waiting for you to explore? My new column on Royal Oak Patch details the first season my son left home for college, and how I started a new “term” in the school of lifelong learning. Included with the essay are several photos of my art projects. Please click here to read it. — Cindy La Ferle
Who was she? It’s likely I’ll never know. I found her photograph (at left) in an old album that once belonged to my mom’s stepmother, affectionately known as Granny Bee.
This week I finished a more fitting tribute to her: a mixed-media “reliquary” of found objects. (Please click the image at the far left for a larger view.) The word remember is incorporated throughout the piece, along with scraps from an old hymnal, sewing notions, vintage fabrics, a rusted picture frame, feathers and twigs.
Regardless, I love how crafting something with my hands sets my mind whirling in a thousand different directions. And I love how art helped create my special relationship with the incomparable “Isabel Esmeralda” — a relationship that reaches across time and never stops delighting me.
