When Efren invited me to participate in his "In Cahoots (Synergy) Art Show", I knew exactly who to call. For years, my dear friend Kathy and I had pitched ideas of collaborating with each other. And of course we wouldn't dream of doing so without our partners in crime: Kathy's husband Selby and my mom, Bonnie. And so, cahooting in the first degree began in earnest.
Kathy and I, about midway in our process.
Kathy brought her extensive knowledge of quilting and manipulating textiles to the tables. Here, you can see the acrylic painted nude figure I created as a jumping off point.
When we first met, I had the broadest sense that I wanted to design a piece about motherhood; about the fear of the unknown future; about aging children growing up and flying the coop. In the back of my mind, always lay the quote by Virgina Woolf, "Fear no more, says the heart." The foundation for our project "Fear Not" was laid. Rough sketches of a woman climbing a wall of motherhood memories and looking towards her future, quickly evolved into a richly layered and subtly exquisite journey in fabric collage.
Original concept sketch.
My acrylic painted figure emerging on muslin fabric.
Over the next couple of months, Kathy and I worked to distress, manipulate and hand sew tattered layers of fabric into a background. Selby took our Virginia Woolf quote and hand lettered versions of this alongside my personal observations of motherhood throughout. We just couldn't get over the artistry of his penmanship!
Selby, getting started on the lettering.
Detail of the lettering.
Selby kept notes over many a cup of tea and plate full of brownies and captured some of my ramblings in ink; such as "I get the stuffing hugged out of me (every day)."
My mom, who works in mixed media and assemblage art, had some fabulous ideas for copper and metal inclusions. Not to mention, she was our constant source of humor and quick thinking problem solver.
Bonnie, knitting with copper, and keeping us quiet introverts entertained!
"Fear Not"
22" x 30" acrylic, fabric and metal stitched collage
$950.
Angela Menzies
Kathy Saluke
Selby Saluke
Bonnie Coulter
You are invited to see this piece in person at the Slide Room Gallery this Friday night.
