Notions: Recollections

"The theme of my exhibition is derivative of my childhood. My mother was a housewife as were a lot of women back in that time. Sewing was something that the women used to do together in my family. It was what women did. It was the stereotypical position associated with the feminine sex throughout history.  “Notions” is a wall of approximately 100 larger than life buttons that are made of glass with vintage ceramic decals fired on their surface. For this exhibition, there will be a selection of these. When going through a drawer, I found a jar of buttons.  As I was looking through them, one of the buttons struck me. It had a design pattern of flowers and leaves on its surface in black and ruby. I remembered the dress that it came from and was interested in my memory of this dress. I wanted to use the form of the button as a canvas through which I reference the world around me. 

My surroundings affect my imagery as I lived on a farm in Southern Illinois with an array of chickens, goats and horses. Not only does my current rural life in Nebraska play a part in my glasswork as well, but I am also interested in the memories sparked by certain objects and what roles they play in our lives.  I most recently started a series of pincushions beginning with the familiar object of the Tomato and Strawberry Pincushion. In researching the history, I understand more now why the tomato is our recollection of a pincushion. It was to place on the mantle to ward off evil spirits. When tomatoes were out of season, they made them out of fabric and used it as a voodoo doll. 

Narrative is important to me so many of my works have imagery that tells a story on the surface of the glass.  Usually, they tell a story of a place that holds a personal recollection for me. Sometimes my stories come from my imagination of what life might have looked like back in the day. 

By making these objects out of glass, I am giving these vintage icons a new life. My work becomes a nostalgic place for the viewer to interpret with his or her own recollections and memories from their own experiences."