From Chatter to Clarity
I could talk to a rock but, for some reason, I can’t get the juices flowing to write this book, if it even turns out to be a book. I want a book more than a blog even though I use my personality to engage other people in conversation. The woman in the red dress and shoes might just be my mouthpiece, like Charlie McCarthy for those familiar with him, a puppet in a ventriloquist act.
I’ve been away from my work for a long time, caregiving for my parents, and then myself. I’m in early remission from cancer. I’m in a sweet spot. It feels as if the ground, not the earth, is moving under my feet. I’ve gained so much from caregiving. Rising to challenges energizes me each morning. I reached a dark place during my cancer battle. I wasn’t sure I’d emerge from it. I’m glad to be well.
In my shoes
This book allows me to reflect on years of art-making, highlighting key pieces. HOLY COW! My work has always been figurative, driven by the need to understand, or at least begin to make sense of, the human experience. This sounds like an artist statement because it is, and it's honest.
Key works include: Out of my Shoes, Blue Noses, Whitewash, Rapunzel, Tiara Plate, Shouting it Out, Shouting Women, among others.
Life is unpredictable, it piles up, and finding a way to sort the mess can be daunting. Silencing the chaos, whether through drawing on paper or molding clay, brings peace. My creative constants are the concepts; the medium shifts as needed. Whether sketching on paper or shaping ceramic sculptures, I wield what I must to convey my message. Repeating images is my rhythm.
My drawings unfold like run-on sentences. One image leads to another, endlessly. This brings calm. Grooving in the grocery store when music plays, pondering why dance is vital in many cultures—it's about the unseen rhythms, the collective heartbeat I seek. Redrawing the same figure captures subtle shifts. It's a visual mantra. My figures, quickly sketched, raw and direct, have a purpose. Listen up! Listen up!
The woman in red shoes would start her narrative by stating how art became her sanctuary, growing up in a family of artists where creativity clashed with challenges. Art wasn’t just a skill; it was both an escape and an entryway. It didn’t just save her; she wielded it to reclaim her life, knowing deeply the unstoppable power within. This book is her path to understanding—no one finds their way out unless they recognize they’re IN. Her journey has been about deciphering the world.
What I'm Doing Now
Where the red shoes came from, I’m not certain. I don’t own red shoes; high heels are not my style. But that’s alright. I am not my art. I let my art speak for itself. Recently, I created two women in red, prototypes for larger figures yet to be completed. Their names? Perhaps Ms. Red, though for now, they remain without labels, narrating my story, becoming my voice.
Maurice Sendak’s "Higglety Pigglety Pop" features Jennie the dog, who sensed more to life and ventured out for extraordinary adventures, only to see her world anew upon returning. I knew life could be richer, and I prevailed.