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

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Free & Groovy

Groovy

Free a.k.a. Fat Free

Fat Free

Groovy

AH~ Stretch Groovy

Free
I was just thinking as I was working how my kitties are always near me when I am working! They swipe the wet paint w/ their tails, they knock over my brushes, they step on paint and leave paw prints....my kitties are near me every step of the way w/ every project. I use to think my rinse water evaporated rather quickly but it turns out...My kitties drink it!
I don't know if I can remember a time when there wasn't a tail whipping me in the face or a cat walking across my keyboard....Free has even shut off my lap top by standing on the power button...I swear he did it on purpose.
It doesn't seem to matter that at times they make my job hard to do....I love these guys so much. So what if I worked hours on something and Groovy just swishes her tail right through the wet paint smearing it all....I just wash off the dots and start over.
There have been many OOps in my work space because my kitties can't stay close enough to me...spilled paint, knocked over supplies, collapsed bookshelves....It doesn't matter. They are safe...
My kitties are a part of my process regardless if I want them to be or not! ♥
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 5, 2011 at 1:57 PM

    LOL Cats do seem to love to hang around when you're busy! Honestly, though, I'm not always as tolerant of them as you seem to be. ;D

    ReplyDelete
  2. JordanApril 6, 2011 at 8:02 AM

    Haha, cats are too funny! You either have to love cats, or hate them ;D

    ReplyDelete

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