About the Artist
My purpose for creating my dolls is three-fold. First, because I feel that the God has called me to do this. Second, it is my hope that the viewer will feel a sense of connection, to the stories, color, fabric, and especially the spirit of the dolls and third, as an Artist it gives me an opportunity to make a connection with people through conversations regarding my art.
The dolls are named as I work with them. They seem to reveal to me who and what they wish to be known as, and usually it is a reference to their persona. The dolls are the memory keepers of the people that I have loved, known, met, or even disliked along my life’s journey. Each doll is created in a tall, spindly shape, with wire arms and legs that bend and loop with unnatural grace, tightly wrapped in bright Kool-Aid colors of African fabric. They remind you of the prayin Grandmamma, Big Pa, the no-nonsense tuff as nails School Teacher, the Deacon Uncle who was the neighborhood fixit man, Mrs. Smith the noisy woman who lived directly across the street and told everything on everybody, Aunt Ollie Mae Frazier and her Friday Night fish fries, and Cousin Alice mouth-watering red velvet cake. I remember these people. They mold who I am today.
No matter what my personal accomplishments may be, they only exist because of the praying women and men
who came before me, so that I may live my life to its fullest. I am my ancestors’ legacy of hope, perseverance, triumph, and the desire to provide better for the generations to come. I am my Ancestors answered prayers…I am
the Best of Them.
The dolls are named as I work with them. They seem to reveal to me who and what they wish to be known as, and usually it is a reference to their persona. The dolls are the memory keepers of the people that I have loved, known, met, or even disliked along my life’s journey. Each doll is created in a tall, spindly shape, with wire arms and legs that bend and loop with unnatural grace, tightly wrapped in bright Kool-Aid colors of African fabric. They remind you of the prayin Grandmamma, Big Pa, the no-nonsense tuff as nails School Teacher, the Deacon Uncle who was the neighborhood fixit man, Mrs. Smith the noisy woman who lived directly across the street and told everything on everybody, Aunt Ollie Mae Frazier and her Friday Night fish fries, and Cousin Alice mouth-watering red velvet cake. I remember these people. They mold who I am today.
No matter what my personal accomplishments may be, they only exist because of the praying women and men
who came before me, so that I may live my life to its fullest. I am my ancestors’ legacy of hope, perseverance, triumph, and the desire to provide better for the generations to come. I am my Ancestors answered prayers…I am
the Best of Them.