Pearle Northrop

Artist Statement

It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I started taking what I do seriously and it took even longer to consider myself an artist. I love to paint whatever I can get my hands on from things as small as a Scrabble® piece to as big as a dresser and hopefully even bigger someday. Whatever it is I will paint it. I love transforming trash into treasure literally. Imagine that a chair that came from a dumpster (2006) made it into a museum (2009). It blows me away to think that something I did creates a sense of awe in a viewer’s eye.

I was talking to a friend a few years back about my love for furniture, my relationship with chairs in particular. There was a chair that I found discarded and ultimately forgotten. I came upon this chair accidentally. I wasn't looking for a relationship. Anyway, the chair was a very handsome chair with so many things to look at. His back was decorative; his arms were long and lean. His legs...I have never seen such beautiful legs. But he was beaten down. His self-esteem had long been worn out. His seat, which was repeatedly upholstered over years, was torn and faded. His stuffing was busting out revealing his age and loss of pride. Me, being a care taker and rescuer of sorts....picked up the chair and brought it home. He sat at the top of the stairs for a few weeks in a corner. My friends however saw this chair and commented on how ugly he was. They wondered why I had him in my home commenting on how dirty he was and how unattractive he was due to the years of neglect. I ignored them and kept him around. Finally one day I decided to put him on my coffee table and take the layers of cloth and wool stuffing off of his seat. Then I cleaned him, primed him and painted him black. Three months later I sat back and looked at him and this is what I saw.....A chair, a man restored...but not only restored but given a whole new purpose. He was beautiful again. He was unique and wonderful....The same chair that my friends were grossed out by....is now a chair that they ask permission to touch. Amazing.....One thing is for certain...NOTHING STAYS THE SAME! Change is inevitable and what is ugly or dirty or discarded as trash can be saved, can be rescued and can be made shinier than new!

Taking discarded forgotten pieces and giving them their self-esteem back is a passion for me. Living in a world where we discard things so easily I’d like to think I am making an itty bitty difference.

Pearle Northrop

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Transformed an 11yr. old doodle into wearable art~♥

I did this doodle back in 2000. I was pregnant w/ my daughter Reagan. I used black pen, markers and gel pens to do this doodle. It was beautiful....now it is in 10 Pendents that are going out into the universe...For somebody to treasure♥

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tuesdays Up-Cycled Puzzles Pieces♥

Eliza: My Songbird

Eliza: My Songbird from John Mury on Vimeo.

Eliza is my little friend who happens to be non-verbal Autistic. The video here was done in 2009 where her Mother, my Friend Aimee, explains when she identified autism in her baby girl. Please take the time to watch. I think it was beautifully done. This is an amazing family that I love very much!
April is Autism Awareness month...please help to bring attention and awareness to your friends, families, followers.♥
Thank you~ Pearle♥

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Up-cycle Puzzle Piece pins. Wearable Art ♥

I was going through the closet when I came upon a couple large wooden puzzles. I decided that instead of throwing them away I would just paint each piece individually and turn them into something new.
A Little Piece of Me -2- You!

Friday, March 25, 2011

New~ Candle stand/holder: Spring Inspired

I took this with me out to dinner last night...oh my goodness did it look amazing on the table. It sparkled in the dimly lit dining room. It was fantastic. Not only could I see all of it's dot dot dotting but it seemed to just sparkle magnificently! Loved it...Stared at it through out the dinner....and as people walked by it seemed a few could not stop looking at it either causing one person to walk into another...♥ What a lovely compliment! A conversation piece to say the least!

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Pearle's Pretty Pieces Facebook Page

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Thank you,

Pearle♥

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Remembering...Faith...equals Love & Trust♥

I get lost in music when I work. Sometimes it is the calming relaxing Christian music that takes me on a journey through the spiritual and religious rocky roads of my humanity that I store in my mind. I lose myself...my mind wanders away as my hands keep painting....and sometimes I feel as if I could just close my eyes and allow my faith to guide me.
That's all I have for today...

Reagan's Photo: "Looking up I can see"

Praying today that the struggles I am dealing with will not consume me but rather...make me a stronger women for having overcome them!♥

Sunday, March 20, 2011

New~Summers day Coaster Set

Available in my Etsy Shop Here

Just clearing the attic (my head) and trying to breathe♥

Well, I have been creating pretty consistently for the past few weeks and I am digging it! Winter is officially over in 6 minutes which is awesome! Spring has arrived and with it I pray for sun shiny days.
Reagan and I need an excuse to get out and walk around down town again...we usually get out from now until it is to cold to bear.

Thursday was a drag...my single parent lifestyle caught up w/ us. The electric company knocked at my door and made me aware that they had to shut me off for non-payment. Bummer. I attempted to put that bill off for so long and well...March 15th was as far as I could go. Living w/ one income is getting increasingly more difficult. I wish with all my might that parent number two would start to contribute because the stuff is hitting the fan.
I tried not to let the no electric issue get to us...we made the most of it. I will hopefully get it straightened out this week. My bad!
Reagan is wicked excited about her Ballet which is AMAZINGLY AWESOME! I love that she is excited about it. She should be...she is really good. She now goes 3X a week to dance. The amazing woman who teaches her has been so flexible w/ us knowing that my ability to pay in full is a struggle. She was able to give Reagan a partial Scholarship. Yea! Regardless of how broke we are, I need Reagan to experience passion for something and Dance...Dance seems to ignite something inside of her that bursts into magic when she performs.
I know things are going to get better...I keep trying and I believe that as long as I don't give up....I will succeed.
YEA~ It has been Spring for 4 minutes!

Reagan was very angry w/ God recently...She dreamed and prayed for a miracle....but the Miracle would not be as she dreamed. Little Stephen has returned to the Lord...to the heavens above. Reagan was devastated by his death and demanded answers that I was not prepared for. Life is unfair she screamed! Why would God kill a baby!? Sometimes life lessons are amazingly difficult...this one tested her trust in God, Her faith and her humanness! How do you discuss death to a child? The power of prayer? I am at a loss.
Not to mention the Church I go to seems to be a complete mess and my own faith is being tested. I want to go to church again...but I am having a personal struggle w/ that whole scene. I'd pray about it...
So...here I am trying to make something of my name: Pearle. I am creating and selling on Etsy...which seems to be going pretty well. I opened in in 2008 but like totally forgot I did so...what is up w/ that. I remember signing up with Etsy but I couldn't sign up for Paypal so I stopped. It sat for a couple years and then January 15th of this year I officially opened. Yea! Finally....as some have said! Anyway...I have officially been open for 2 months now which is awesome. What a great community Etsy is...I am LOVING it!

I really would like to make a living off of my art...maybe start doing some craft/art shows in the future. I will have to educate myself a bit more about them. I have done some locally and they have all gone pretty well for me. I need to try to sock some money away to pay for them...I should start signing up for some now...as I believe they do fill up quick.
Okay...so I have no electric and I am struggling....but I do believe that I can take control of my life and support my baby w/ my art and my belief that I CAN DO IT!
As Charlie would say: Duh, Winning!

EPIC....! LOL oh boy!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Earth Angel♥

From: The Book of American Poetry (1931)

Black & White Doodle

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Up-cycled Trader Joe Cookie Box♥

My Aunt Linda sent me a box of things a couple weeks ago. In this box was this groovy wooden container/box thingy. I asked where she got it and she told me she bought it at Trader Joes and that Cookies came inside of it.

It is a wonderful little box...It didn't come painted black. It was just plain bare wood...I primed it w/ Bulls-eye Zinnser Primer and painted it using Benjamin Moore flat Black paint from Debsan Paint here in Natick, Ma.