portrait of a lady?

In case you missed my show, here's some of what you missed...





title: Little girl dress
size: 28 in. (H) x 25 in. (W) x 6 in. (D)
medium: wire

Whatever comes, cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dresses in a cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when know one knows it.
A Little Princess – Frances Hodgson Burnett



title: the homemaker
size: 39 in. (H) x 30 in (W) x 10 in. (D)
medium: wire

Perfection is not about healthy striving or being our best, it's how we protect ourselves. Being our best selves is about cultivating the courage to be vulnerable, authentic, and imperfect. It’s about cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, “No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough. It’s going to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.
- Brene Brown


title: the ‘ordinary’ girl
size: 40 in. (H) x 33 in. (W) x 7 in. (D)
medium: wire

Beauty is an essence that dwells in every woman. It was given to her by God. It was given to you. So the choice a woman makes is not to conjure beauty, but to let her defenses down. To choose to set aside her normal means of survival and just let her heart show up. Beauty comes with it.
A woman in her glory, a woman of beauty, is a woman who is not striving to become beautiful or worthy or enough. She knows in her quiet center where God dwells that he finds her beautiful, has deemed her worthy, and in him, she is enough, In fact, the only thing getting in the way of our being fully captivating and enjoyed is our striving.
- Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge



title: the bombshell
medium: wire
size: 37 in. (H) x 22 in. (W) x 5 in. (D)
Being a bombshell is a state of mind.
A bombshell is a woman who has learned to use her vulnerability to her advantage, a woman who allows for her frailty and breakable humanity, but does not let it eclipse her aura of glamour.
She never pretends to be anyone other than herself.
She behaves as if life is a movie and she is the star.
- Laren Stover, Nicole Burdette



title: the working girl
size: in. (H) x in (W) x in. (D)
medium: wire

woman by nikki Giovanni

she wanted to be a blade
of grass amid the fields
but he wouldn't agree
to be the dandelion

she wanted to be a robin singing
through the leaves
but he refused to be
her tree

she spun herself into a web
and looking for a place to rest
turned to him
but he stood straight
declining to be her corner

she tried to be a book
but he wouldn't read

she turned herself into a bulb
but he wouldn't let her grow

she decided to become a woman
and though he still refused to be a man
she decided it was all right

Art for AIDS 2010

I spent the day feeling nervous. Then this evening my mom and I attended the Art for AIDS Auction. I tried to chill out over good food and cocktails (I’m not a drinker so one glass of white wine did the trick). Members from the cast of the Broadway Hit ‘Dreamgirls’ performed. And finally the live auction began. Twenty-five of the 150 pieces of art were auctioned LIVE by a professional auctioneer and my piece was one of them. We watched as one piece after the next went before the crowd. I could feel the excitement in the air and found myself getting more and more excited if an auctioned item went on for five minutes or so. It was fun to watch the people bid and outbid one another. Then finally when only 4 pieces remained on the stage, my work was center stage. The bidding began at $500 dollars and I watched as it climbed and climbed in increments of $50. Then I gasped my chest and cheered a little when it hit $1000. My heart was pounding so fast and the adrenaline was pumping. And finally, the closing bid - $1200! Gosh – so exciting.


P.S. While I was watching work being auctioned off before my work came out, a guy caught my eye. I instantly knew who it was – a project runway contestant from this season. I tapped the guy on the shoulder and asked him if he was on Project Runway. It was him – Christopher Collins. We talked for a minute or two. It was pretty cool. This is the third Project Runway contestant I have met and talked to... I’m like, ok – what’s up with that?

escape into summer

My wire dress - 'Sunshine in Brazil' and a pair of tiny child-size saltwater sandals are on display at the Artist X-change Gallery in San Francisco now through August 1st. They are a part of a group show called Escape into Summer.

virtual art exhibition

The following work was created for an exhibit at the L. Frank James Gallery, a gallery housed inside Valley Springs Presbyterian Church. This show will run from July 1 - September.

Title: THE JOURNEY ( a foot mounted on the wall)
Reflection:
MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen. - Thomas Merton



THE NEED
Reflection:
Trying times bring us much frustration, such aggravation
Who understands our plight, who can answer the questions why
It’s troublesome
I’m not ashamed to say sometimes it feels like I’m going crazy

The pressures of this life make me want to run and hide
Oh so weary, I don’t always want to fight
I need you Lord to console me, this fear I must deny
Hold me safely in your arms
Hold me from all harm
Hold me for that I know that everything will be alright

Trying times, disenchantment, then we become apprehensive
Who understands our plight, who can answer the questions why
Under the Savior I rest in quietness

I remember you saying ‘I am here. You will never be lonely if only you draw near.”
Lord I’ve learned to put my trust in you when ordinary just wont do

In your arms there’s safety, hold me
Lord console me
On the everlasting arms I’m leaning…
Lord console me

Song: “Hold Me” - Commissioned




THE OFFERING
Reflection:
What can I do to be of service Lord unto you
How can I be pleasing in your sight?
I’ll give you everything I am to show you Lord I love you with all my heart and mind
What I am to some may not seem like much
Oh but what I am becomes complete with just one touch of your hand
So I’m asking you --
What can I do ? What can I do Lord to be of service to you?

Song, “What can I do?” Danniebelle Hall



THE COMMUNION
Reflection:
Lord, let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.


Title: THE PRAISE
Reflection:
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance,
praise Him with the sound of the trumpet,
praise Him with the psaltery and harp;
let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.

Praise Him with timbrel and dance,
praise Him on the high sounding cymbals,
oh, praise Him with string instruments;
let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.

Oh, magnify the Lord,
magnify the Lord with me.
Magnify the Lord,
oh, magnify the Lord with me.
Song: ‘Praise Anthem’ by Richard Smallwood

'supernatural' reminders to keep going

Yesterday I nervously walked into the Green Room of the War Memorial for the 2010 Mayor’s Art Award Ceremony. Carlos Santana was honored with a lifetime achievement award and I was one of 400 guests at this invite only event. I was nervous, not knowing what to expect and yet it ended up being a nice time. People mingled over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as a group called Futuro Picante played. We all wore nametags but I didn’t really know whom I was surrounded by until I got home and googled a bunch of people. (Yep – I googled… I’m a nerd, I know.)

Turns out I chatted with some women from the International Museum of Women, talked with a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger who has performed with renowned jazz artists Israel Cachao Lopez, Max Roach, Omar Sosa and Dizzy Gillespie, chatted on the elevator with a woman who is the head of a major hospital here, stood next to a woman who is the director of a major gallery here, and spoke to a bunch of other people whom once I looked them up my jaw dropped. I’m kind of glad I didn’t know who they were because I would have been too nervous to chat and yet all of my conversations were easy going and very genuine. I am naturally an introvert and yet in settings like this I know how to pull it together and socialize.

The best part of the evening was listening to Santana’s acceptance speech. He said a few things that really touched me and reminded me of why it’s important to keep going. He talked about what it means to be “special” versus being “significantly meaningful”. He said that being “special” becomes about your ego but being significantly meaningful is about being a tool, a vehicle in this world to be used for a greater purpose. He said, “ You have a purpose, a job to do that has nothing to do with you.” He encouraged us all to get out of our own way and to allow ourselves to be used up, to do what we were born to do. Those were reminders I needed to hear. There were other sweet moments as well that I loved. I liked how he talks with his hands and he thanked his mom several times as he talked. He called her mommy but with his Spanish accent it was cute and short like 'mom-mi'.

The whole thing was a really cool experience.

art explosion studios

I have this hope/wish/desire to get an enclosed space at this place, on the third floor so that I can work here more. Right now I rent a wall which I use to showcase my work. I like being here and yet with no where to lock up my work, I don't feel good about leaving it in an open workspace...

window displays

Working in the financial district?
How about an unexpected surprise as you wander down the street?

My newest works are on exhibit in three fabulous windows downtown near the Embarcadero!

275 Sacramento Street (at the corner of Front and Sacramento Streets)
San Francisco, CA

On exhibit through mid-February 2010.

art in storefronts - part 6

The unveiling ---
Highlights of the opening included:

- Talking to the other storefront artists
- Seeing an old friend from high school
- Personally inviting people into the reception and seeing the delight on their faces to be included in such an event
- Meeting local business owners, moms, sons, children
- A conversation with City Supervisor Sophie Maxwell about how relevant my window was to her experience growing up
- Lots of local people surprised to see a crowd of white people standing on the corner of 3rd and Palou in this minority filled neighborhood
- Watching the local neighborhood residents mingle with art world people
- The owner of a storefront giving long stem roses to all of the ladies at the event
- A walking tour in three groups of about 40 people which grew as we walked and people on the street joined in because they were curious to see where we were going
- Seeing the look of pride on my mother’s face as she watched people surround me acknowledging my work
- Senator Mark Leno asking me for a postcard with my work on it after talking with me about my work
- Seeing people looking at my window
- Hearing oohs and ahhs as the windows were revealed
- Being interviewed for a podcast for the SF Arts Commission
- Great conversation with Luis R. Cancel, Director of Cultural Affairs for the SF Arts Commission
- Listening to Judy Nemzoff, the Program Director for Community Arts and Education at the SF Arts Commission share how my work has moved her! She even described my piece that was in the Open Studios Group show!
- Being able to stand in front of my window and talk about the ideas behind it with a crowd of people
- Seeing people from all walks of life coming together to appreciate art

Art does indeed have the power to unite, to inspire, and to create community.

art in storefronts - part 5

The artwork--

Description: Celebrating the hard-working women of the Bayview community, I have created three generations of women through clothing sculpted in wire. Using hundreds of pieces of wire, I have created the essence of a person wearing a garment; the occupant is revealed among the folds and shapes that give life to the sculpture.

The older woman – the mother, the head of household, the matriarch

The twenty/ thirty something woman – the mom, the woman seeking her identity, her place in this world

The little girl – young, seeing the world with fresh eyes, learning, dreaming, growing

art in storefronts - part 4

The window -

Title: Strong Women, Precious Pearls

Description: Celebrating the hard-working women of the Bayview community, I have created three generations of women through clothing sculpted in wire.

While the viewer has the choice to focus on the exterior and concentrate on the clothing, they also have the option of looking at the invisible person within the sculpture. In this instance, my goal is to project souls of endurance, perseverance and strength. When approaching this project my first idea stemmed from the idea of many generations under one roof. “I thought about all of the families with the woman as the head of household and how this area is home to many families with multiple generations gathered under one roof.”

I’ve created hard exteriors out of wire, speaking to ones ability to protect, endure and yet not lose sight of the soul, the beauty and the femininity within. A pearl is constructed when a grain of sand endures years of friction and irritation within an oyster shell. This embattled grain of sand ultimately transforms into something beautiful and cherished.

Couple that with the obstacles that are faced daily, the roadblocks that cause one to think and rethink their plans, the obstacles and attitudes that can hold one back if they don’t endure and here we have a community of people fighting a battle that while huge and often overwhelming has become as much a part of life as eating, sleeping and breathing.

This installation is a celebration of women and the hope that endures as they nurture one generation after the next. My hope is always to get people to see life in a new way.

In the midst of this we could get social and political and ask, “Where are the men?” Then, because we are in the Bayview, a predominantly black area, we might engage in a conversation about black men and the number of black men who die or are incarcerated each year. We could talk about broken families and how historically for blacks this stems back to times of slavery, or we could even take a modern approach and examine the rate of teen pregnancy and divorce today. Maybe we’d talk about the modern day family and how its structure is changing. However, no matter what we choose to focus on, this piece is universal in that we all face obstacles. We are continually in the midst of suffering as we face hardships that challenge us and shape us into the people we were meant to be.

My goal is not only to share my work and offer beauty, but also to present hope and to say to others – don’t give up.