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

Monday, May 2, 2011

Little Glass Tile Pendants w/ Pearle♥ Doodles





I almost forgot that I can do a bit more than just paint. I love to doodle and create new things. I love the glass tiles I discovered through Etsy. I bought several different shapes and sizes. I am digging the pendants I am creating using all sorts of backgrounds...My Gel Pen doodles, Little doodles I drew for the pendant or even scrap paper we just have laying around...
In 1998 I doodled w/ gel pen on a 26" X 20" piece of black paper...I gave it away to my daughters father who had it matted and framed....when we broke up I got it back...and then in 2004 when I moved back to CT from MA I gave it to a friend....he had it in his home until a month or so ago when he brought it back to me. Today I decided to cut t up into little pieces and make it into cute little glass pendants and hopefully they will sell and go out into the world never to return....






I will get back to painting but for now I am really enjoying turning my art into little pendants. I think they are really sweet. I even drew some just for the pendant like the personalized one Reagan and I made for her friend Lucie....
 And then we made on for Reagan.

I LOVE MAKING THESE...

 Visit my FB page to see all the pieces I created...from the original piece of art to the many pendants


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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 3, 2011 at 12:29 PM

    Those pendants are really cute! How do you make them?

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  2. PearleMay 3, 2011 at 1:24 PM

    Glass tiles, bails...Glue and and X-acto knife are the two essentials..

    ReplyDelete
  3. hopeandjoyhomeMay 3, 2011 at 7:36 PM

    very cool! I like the idea of repurposing the larger piece into many smaller ones..you make me want to bust out my paints!

    ReplyDelete
  4. LJMay 4, 2011 at 12:17 PM

    I LOVE those pendents. I may have to get you to make me one. Mmmmm ..... or Christmas gifts .... Mmmmm ....

    ReplyDelete

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