The main objective for the mentorship with Kristen Ley was to develop and complete a Spring collection. The portfolio review was to sort existing work into collections and suggest new ways to organize my files. A series that began in 2013 of Chinoiserie chic elements like Staffordshire dogs and porcelain dolls was the first collection to stand out. The approach would be to vectorize the original paintings and enhance design elements that could be developed into complementary patterns.

Original Painting (L) - 2023 Refresh to adapt for surface pattern (R)

objet d’art

Antiquing is a way of life for me. I love the Decorative Arts wing in museums. When I plan to visit a large museum, I always search for objet d’art (A fancy French term that means decorative, ornamental works of art and can be figurines, metalwork, engraved gems, tapestries, ceramic plates, textiles). This is a niche wing of art history that lights me up. The scope of decorative arts holds portrait miniatures, detailed finials, decoupage, and ornate cigarette cases–basically the stuff I seek at antique malls. Objects have tremendous power to unlock memories and turn people into collectors.

The idea to revisit a series of artwork from 2013 ignited something within me, and I began a series of paintings with an extraordinary destiny. At the end of 2022, I searched for juried competitions, and the priority was to develop a series of paintings for the 27th Annual NO DEAD ARTISTS International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Art at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans, LA. I wrote little notes to my future self in my 2023 planner. How are the paintings coming along? This is your year; you know you can do this! Then the countdown began: You have two months until submission.

During winter break, I binged season two of White Lotus and loved the opening credits design elements. I did an illustration of the Italian Majolica decorative head about the legend of the Testa di Moro on my iPad while watching S2 again. I searched The Met Collection online for more Staffordshire pottery, which led to Majolica pottery, then European porcelain figurines from the 1700’s. It became a feast.

And this is how the Fidus Amor series began.