Good day to you all.
I thought I would share with you behind the scenes on the my favorite project from 2019: “Pieces of You,” my decorated bust for the Bra-Vo Exhibit in Mt. Dora, Florida. It was on display at Mt. Dora Center for the Arts Gallery from October 5th to the 27th, 2019. I wish I could have made another bust to benefit a wonderful cause but unfortunately, like many things in 2020, Covid-19 put the brakes on Bra-Vo’s Exhibit. They did have a successful run of it in 2021. I missed it again in 2021 due to other obligations, but am hopeful for 2022.
Bra-Vo is an art fundraiser put on by Artisans of Mt. Dora (Previously Artisans on 5th), a non-profit co-op gallery in Mt. Dora, Florida. Every year in August, since in 2012, their Bra-Vo exhibit raises money to provide low or no-cost diagnostic testing for breast cancer for residents of Lake County, Florida. They do this through the sales and votes for Art Bras (bust sculptures) created by artists, students and merchants. Bra-Vo is also funded through generous donations, sponsorships with the local community, silent auctions, and other ticketed events for the fundraiser. Although they missed 2020, they returned in 2021 and successfully raised $8,923.61 for the Waterman Foundation at Waterman Hospital!
In 2019, I stumbled upon this thanks for Google and felt it aligned perfectly with the direction of my Cancer Series. It had only been 3 years since dad passed from Lung Cancer, but cancer was cancer I thought. It still filled me with ideas of what the families are left behind to pick up the pieces when a loved one dies from cancer. I felt Dad would’ve been proud to have one cancer story raise money for another cancer cause.
I started out with the sketch of me, my husband and my son standing under the shade of an old oak tree, and my mother sitting at its base, dad is in the shadow facing away. My dad grew up in Florida, and I associate the beaches and oak trees with him as we spent many family outings at parks or beaches growing up. I came up with the idea to use the sea glass again, not only for tree colors of brown and green, and the beach allusion, but as the main metaphor for the broken pieces, or memories, I was left with of my father. Even if they smooth and fade with time, I hope to pass these memories onto my son as he gets older. I also incorporated coquina beach sand, fabric and jewelry pieces with the acrylic paint.
On each glass “leaf” I engraved and painted images and words that make me think of dad and his life with us, the good and bad (i.e. the smoking). He had military service with the US Air Force, which I commemorate on multiple shards. The commemoration is based on a cup he was given in Germany for his unit and so forth. Also on the glass shards are images of his career in construction (the truck he always drove to work), the things he did (taking photos, smoking, golfing, etc.) and messages about dad “Our Rock”, “We Miss You” and yes, “Daddy’s Girl” because that was totally me.
Painting and engraving sea glass with my son in attendance (Age 3).
