This year, I participated in the Waterford Fair. This is a special year, because it marks the Fair's 70th anniversary. There are many wonderful artists participating in the fair and all of them put so much passion into their art...whether it be pottery, oil paintings, furniture, or painted guards (to name a few). I was excited to play a part this year with eleven of my mixed media art pieces on display in the old Red Barn. When they asked each artist to write an artist's statement, I didn't know where to start. So I just started here...
Artist's Statement
God made
us to create. I think in part because there is something healing and
holistic in making something out of darkness. Art heals and leads us
to revelations...or the "light." The Creator created us
with a kind of magic called imagination. When we take yarn
and weave, clay to mold something 3-D, paint to create and blend
shapes, play notes to produce cords, and choose words to
form syntax...we are on our way to finding some meaning, our perhaps even bits
of ourselves.
A few fun facts about me: I make my home in Loudoun County, Virginia
with my husband, our two wonderful, slightly mischievous, sons, and two
characters of the canine variety named Ruby Tuesday (you know, the one The
Rolling Stones sing about), and Benny Bob. Home is where I create
mixed-media art, write stories, screenplays, and poetry, edit other authors' fabulous stories, compose
on the piano, and still pretend I’m going to be a rock star someday.
My favorite art supplies:
- Brushes of many sizes
- Canvas
- Embellishments of all kinds
- Encaustic
- Ephemera
- Fabrics
- Funny sayings
- Historical images
- Imagination
- Ink
- Paints
- Pastels
- Poetry
- Quotes from inspirational people
- Reclaimed wood
- Sandpaper
- Stamps
- Typography
- Vintage papers
- Wax seals
After I turned in my artist's statement and my artwork, I went to the Fair as a lover of all things handmade, where I spent too much money, but original art is always worth it.
It's a tradition to go to the Waterford Fair every year with the two best moms in the world, my mother and mother-in-law. They wouldn't let me take pictures of them, so I took pictures of our beautiful surroundings. Mom1 and Mom2 always make the trip memorable. Here are some shots from our adventure:
It's a tradition to go to the Waterford Fair every year with the two best moms in the world, my mother and mother-in-law. They wouldn't let me take pictures of them, so I took pictures of our beautiful surroundings. Mom1 and Mom2 always make the trip memorable. Here are some shots from our adventure:
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| German Redware I purchased at the fair. Isn't she beautiful on my kitchen counter! She has the old English nursery rhyme about 24 blackbirds baked in a pie. This happens to be the same nursery rhyme I sang to my boys almost every night when they were small. |
There's one more day left of the fair! So if you are just a few hours away from Waterford, Virginia. It's worth the drive. Otherwise, there's next year...
~Mary Rand Hess
