When Women Gather: Sunday and Zora

My trip to Charleston, South Carolina last September for the Mermaids and Merwomen in Black Folklore exhibit, was more than I had hoped it would be. The exhibit at the Waterfront Gallery at City Park was beyond belief. There were over 100 quilts and cloth dolls in the show and the gallery was absolutely beautiful. I was so proud to have three of my pieces as part of the exhibit.

There were many events and celebrations over the three day opening. One of the most moving events for me was the celebration of Yemaya's Feast Day at sunset on Sullivan's Island. We were all asked to wear white and about 100 or more of us from all over the United States met at this historic place.

Sullivan's Island was a main port of entry and was the macabre equivalent of Ellis Island for the slaves that were brought from Africa to North America. It was where slaves, passengers and crew members who survived the Middle Passage were first quarantined from the general population. Infectious diseases like cholera, measles and smallpox were a hazard.

 I've been to the East Coast a couple of times but I've never touched the Atlantic Ocean. It was a very spiritual experience. Our procession lead us from a pathway lined by ancient military canons, through a tall grassy field and to the beach when the sun was just setting. We were lead by a Yoruban priest who chanted while a drummer set the pace for our foot steps. Offerings of flowers and fruit were tossed into the ocean. We sang and watched the sun go down and just as we were leaving we could see a dolphin jumping in the water just a few yards from the shore.

I wanted design a group of dolls that reminded me of this beautiful procession on Sullivan's Island with all of us dressed in white. I've named it "When Women Gather" because this beautiful event and all of the other opening events was about creative women (a few men too) from all over the country who came together and traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to share their textile art, quilts and cloth dolls.

 This is Sunday, she has a beautiful bouquet of orange flowers to offer for the feast of Yemaya.

 Zora also has an offering of flowers.

These are the first two dolls for "When Women Gather". More ladies in white will join this procession.

Mermaids

My two mermaid dolls are almost on their way to the Waterfront Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina. I also had time to create a beaded, quilted wall hanging that was also accepted. Now, I have to follow the appropriate steps to ship them to the gallery and prepare them for display.

I wanted to create mermaids that were a little different,

I didn't want them to be just pretty girls floating in the water. I have to admit, raising two sons who were very into super heroes and now having to grandsons who are also into "heroes" influenced my creative process for this first doll. I am very inspired by my oldest grandson Paul who is becoming an awesome cartoon animator and is studying media in high school and will soon be off to college. All four of my grandchildren and my nephew Demetrius are creative artists and have been creating beautiful images since they were very young.                  

My first mermaid is Malika. She became a mermaid warrior queen fighting for the survival of her people. Her color palette is coppers and golds and she carries a sword ready to do battle for justice.

I used gold beads, charms and gold braid to create her look and because she is a queen she wears a crown. When I finished her body I couldn't figure out what was missing and it dawned on me that she needed a belly button.

Her "fishy" tail and lower body are painted with Lumiere Metallic textile paints by Jacquard and Scribbles Iridescent textile paints that are layered to get a more complex texture. I used a leopard stencil to get the effect of scales.

 I added gold beads to her tail just to add extra glitz.

She has thick "dreaded" hair with coppery red streaks and a sassy attitude.

Malika is Swahili for queen so it seemed most fitting that that should be her name.








Stayed tuned for pictures of mermaid #2 and a very ambitious wall hanging that I couldn't stop adding to. It was almost addictive.

Mermaids

I am excited about my latest challenge. I received an email from a fellow textile artist about a juried show taking place in Charleston, South Carolina. The theme is Black Mermaids and Merwomen in Black Folklore. I have to admit that my only knowledge or experience with mermaids up until now has been what I hear from my granddaughters and from the Disney movie "The Little Mermaid". I read Hans Christians Anderson when I was a child and saw the ballet "Ondine" a long time ago but I never considered it for an art expression. The call is for quilts or quilted wallhangings and cloth dolls that portray the image of Black mermaids. There are legends and folktales about African and Caribbean mermaids during the era of slave trading. They were said to have rescued slaves who were thrown from the slave ships into the sea. I really would like to submit an entry for this art show. The exhibit will be at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park in South Carolina. So, I'm currently in research mode. I am reading and looking at as many images of mermaids that I can find. I will keep you posted on my progress. I am looking forward to this great summer journey.