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

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. 
I dip dot dip dot dip dotted away until....



I think it turned out beautifully! 
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 16, 2011 at 1:08 PM

    WOW, that's incredible! I love it, great job! :D

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  2. JordanMarch 16, 2011 at 1:14 PM

    This is GORGEOUS!!! That must have taken forever! I'm so glad you shared!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. PearleMarch 16, 2011 at 2:29 PM

    Thank you. This piece took a total of 9 hours of Dot Dot Dotting.
    If has such an awesome texture to it!

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  4. AnonymousMarch 16, 2011 at 3:31 PM

    Wow, I'll bet it does! It's amazing!

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  5. Karen@SimpleBlueMarch 16, 2011 at 4:46 PM

    Wow! This is really wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wave of Life Surf StudioMarch 17, 2011 at 10:33 AM

    So clever! Hi there! I am your newest follower from the EE Team & would love it if you stopped by and followed me! Be sure to check out today's product review post of a fellow EE Team member :) Hope you are having a great day! (My name above links directly to my site..)

    ReplyDelete

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