Threading the Needle with Modge Podge

I’ve always appreciated art. I love to draw and at one time thought that I would be an artist. That didn’t happen so When I had the opportunity to participate in this art project, I found the power in art and the power in me. The power portrait project provided many hours of creativity and exploration. Through the exploration of personal narratives, personal iconography, preferred imagery, and expressive writing I participated as an artist of this series to define the way in which I hold power and how I choose to in enact that power in my daily life, and more specifically, in my community. I know that each artist pulls power from a different place, whether it be the natural world, or my family. In turn, each artist then passes, shares, or manifests their power in their own way. Through a series of prompts, surveys in conversation, I as an artist designed and created my own portrait using photography and other mixed media approaches. My portrait celebrates me as creative lifelong learner and speaks to way in which I am truly powerful.

I gathered my inspiration from three powerful and strong women in my family. My mother who provided me with the idea that I could achieve important things alone. She stressed that we as women should accomplish our goals on our own merit. She said that all else we may receive from others was extra. I decided to wear a pair of gloves that she owned as a symbol of the working hands which provided the food on the table of our family. She was a meat stuffer for over thirty years at the black founded and owned, Parks Sausage Company. The second woman I admired and loved was my grandmother who had me read the newspaper to her daily. I learned to love words because of this activity and am still an avid reader and have a passion for writing. My second home was the neighborhood Enoch Pratt free library and I spent hours enjoying all the community activities there. My great Aunt Carrie was the third woman who nurtured me. She was a beautician and always made sure that my sisters and me received fresh hairdos on special occasions like the first day of school, birthdays, and holidays especially Easter. I was greatly impacted by the fact that she fed me and my sisters hotdogs and beans on fine Blue Willow China.

The activity included using a portrait and placing it on canvas. The picture was blown up and printed out so that it could be used on a large white blank canvas I used a piece of tissue paper to cut out the outline of the portrait and adhere it to the canvas with glue. I had to choose a background for the portrait next. At first, I thought of using the colorful mosaic background but opted instead for the blue willow background since it represented the fine China. I cut and paste printed out papers with the Blue Willow designs and used modge podge to adhere it to the background around the portrait. Once the background was in place, I needed to begin all my embellishments. I used the lace from paper doilies to glue around the gloves on the canvas. I found white, gray and silver pearl beads and glued them on the background. I found old jewelry and hot glued the earrings and the necklace on the portrait so I could capture movement and authenticity. L wanted to feel the beauty and the power of three women and express it through my portrait on canvas.