Altered E Art

Embellished torsos become goddesses and archetypes, reminders of inner qualities, mirrors of power.

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About the TORSOS

The papier-mâché torsos I discovered became a mainstay of the studio.  The pieces end up embodying qualities I wanted to get in touch with.  I find them a perfect vehicle to signify what I am trying to more fully realize, explore and inhabit within myself.

Many of the torsos represent what I call the ‘goddess qualities’.  Others can be seen as totems, which are typically linked to animals and can serve as powerful personal symbols.

Pieces begin as personal symbols, but usually the qualities are recognized by others in the same way or others find their own symbols within a piece. In this way, the torsos move from symbol to an icon, serving now as an archetypical image and mirroring the essence of the quality for all to experience.

Several torsos were designed for specific people,  often as a gift to that person. Here I want to reflect to that person qualities I see within them. I am drawn to remind them of their strength, power and  beauty – beauty as in their essence.  The torsos express our movement toward and expression of the deeper qualities in our wholeness, which is highlighted in the moment one is creating a piece.

A piece holds and amplifies the energy of the qualities being explored and expressed. This energy can support the recognition and acceptance of these attributes by the recipient or viewer.

The majority of these pieces use an 8” papier-mâché torso as its base.  The torso is cut, torn, painted, decoupaged with images and embellished.

Images may inspire a piece   or images are found to capture a concept or feeling. 

The embellishing process takes on a life of its own, using all manner of materials - including beads, glitter, jewelry, natural & faux feathers and flowers. Natural stones and quartz crystals, including amethyst, smoky and rose quartz and others are used not only for their beauty but for the qualities and energy these stones are said to embody.

Other pieces use a found object torso, such as the ceramic vase which is the basis of the Guadalupe Madonna.

The pieces are permanently mounted on bases of varied materials, including natural stone, mirror, glass and wood. The bases are typically embellished with additions of beads, crystals, stones, found objects and so on.

MADONNAS

A trip to Mexico brought the Goddess element of Madonnas very alive to me.  After an intriguing experience in a cathedral with the ‘Black Madonna of Oaxaca', my friend Helen and I brought back an array of Madonna figures. 

The Madonna represents a transcendent goddess energy to me, transcendent in that the energy moves beyond the specific image of Madonna to a vaster essence of Goddess, one with strength deeply anchored in compassion.