The original Watcher painting, done on 2’ x 4’ canvas with fabric collage, is in the private collection of Nikki Macey, one of my three sweet daughters. The Mother Watcher started from a reworked painting and seems to have almost created herself. Her figure is strong and powerful with a bit of mystery. A commanding presence not to be ignored.

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Based on the parameters set by the Nabisco prospectus, I measured out the maximum height of 60” on my studio table and set to work.

The two original pieces (the Enforcer and the Guardian) were created from old paintings reworked/collaged/torn and woven together.

Acrylic gels were used for added texture, water-soluble crayons for more color; found object embellishments were the finishing touch.

The next figure to be developed was the Healer. I knew the color had to be green to signify new growth and health.

My husband, Carl, and I smeared our hands with acrylic gel and made hand prints on several sheets of watercolor paper. The sheets were painted and torn to create the lower body of the figure.

I used vintage pill boxes and tins, along with some old medicine bottles for embellishments. Every healer needs his Shaman Bag and this one is made of metal screening, containing all manner of mysterious ingredients as well as bones. (Sorry for the blurry image - my camera is new.)

The Recollector is the keeper of the stories: an historian that records births, deaths, marriages, and such - all the milestone events that occur throughout a life; one who passes on traditions from one generation to the next.

I made the figure of heavy duty artist canvas, texturized with gesso and acrylic paint. Embellishment are stapled, pinned, wired, and include photos of four generations of women in my family and my parents wedding; vintage skeleton keys, an old skate key, metal hinge, drawer handle, glass, corks, and other personal ephemera.

A Mediator “settles or reconciles (differences) by intervening as a peacemaker” according to the Reader’s Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary.

The quotes I’ve selected seem most appropriate for cultivating tolerance and peace:

“Once the mind has been stretched by a new idea, it will never again return to its original size.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Eleanor Roosevelt

I chose heavy duty artist canvas so as to cut and weave without fear of tearing. The weaving represents the combining of both sides to create a bridge or compromise greater than each separate idea.

The Traveler came about next. I purchased an old beat up suitcase on eBay - the perfect torso for my Watcher. The head, arms, and legs were cut from foam board then covered with vintage maps.

The original sketch is quite different from the final piece but the inspiration still comes across. A traveler is adventurous, prepared, and ready to experience the unexpected. Doesn’t he look ready for anything?

As keeper of our fantasies and aspirations, the Dreamer needed to be peaceful, clam, and ethereal. She looks after our dreams, lest we lose sight of them. She was created with hardware cloth and cheesecloth, which was pulled and stretched, gooped with gesso, and then painted. The dreams are floating in glassine envelopes, pinned to the wire frame for safe keeping.

Private Collection

The Dancer reminds us to celebrate life. She is graceful and full of joy. I love her wild hair, warm colors, and sparkly sequins! Did you notice her instrument - a small tambourine made from wood and old bottle caps>

She is constructed of foam board with torn watercolor paper glued and layered on top. I painted the paper with fluid acrylics, creating lots of visual texture with various special art tools: waste plastic from framing bump-ons, plastic canvas, and a rubber brayer.

I wanted one of my Watchers to represent wisdom, a seeker of knowledge, capable of great insight None of the names I came up with were worthy, then I happened upon the word “numinous” which means “1. Of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a numen. 2. evoking awe or reverence, as the presence of something holy or divine. 3. Irrational; mysterious; inscrutable.”

Numen (nyoo-men) is an “indwelling force or quality that animates or guides.” Perfect!

I wrapped cotton fabric like a mummy over the upper foam core torso, securing it with gesso then purple paint She is embellished with found objects from my stash: cool rusty metal pieces, doll arms, vintage jewelry, and flat marbles. Her regal purple color further invokes her spiritual nature. This is one of my favorites!

When a friend gave me a stack of vintage chalk boards, the Teacher came together almost by magik. I have a fondness for old dictionaries (don’t tell my husband, but my collection numbers over two dozen) and knew that would be part of the body. The glasses were found crushed on the side of the road over a year ago - aren’t they perfect?

I giggled all the while creating this whimsical piece. Teaching is serious business but should encompass humor and wit.

Ah, the Tree Maidens, my most favorite piece of the series, representing nature and the earth. She was one of the last to be constructed and, again, came together as if by magik I love it when the great Creator takes over while I’m working!

On Christmas Eve, My brother-in-law, Mark, provided me with the perfect length of fallen tree, complete with branches. My husband came up with the idea of putting her in our old Christmas tree stand, making her much easier to work on.

The textured pieces wrapped around the trunk are corrugated cardboard covered with acrylic gel and then painted. I love how they look like part of the tree. I’ve stamped and painted on both figures. The stones are smooth ones gathered from Chesapeake Bay by my sister - the face was found just as you see it.