Why do we fall in love with “Place”? "Our home is our life territory, the communities, landscapes, and bioregions that we occupy, and depend on our emotional existence" (Nokes, 2007). I have always been interested with things that hang from a nail, a ceiling, a tree, or an ear. I have added things to objects in the name of art. I like things that shine as well as things that reminds me of a place. This is where the first idea about chandeliers came from. I wanted to collect old jewelry and lost pairs of earrings from the women that I have admired, loved, and women that have been a part of who I am today, homage to them. I am very sentimental as to where I live. “Place” is very important to me and to my life. I know if I had not had a “place” to come to in times of trouble I think sometime it would not have turned out as positive as it has. I have lived in my family’s home off and on for fifty-four years. Our house sits on two acres we call “the yard”. My yard was a living museum to me growing up. I learned the trees that were taught to me by my father and it was magic. I started thinking about those things when figuring out what it was I really wanted to do. Home is where the art is. There was a wonderful woman that taught me Language Arts when I was in the seventh grade. She wore some “off the wall jewelry” and so did my mom; I loved trying it on and touching it. All that glitters was me exactly. My teacher lost her husband early in their marriage and never remarried. My father asked her to live at our hospital and then later on at our Nursing Home. I saw her everyday and learned what a “sure of herself” woman looked like. I knew one other woman like that and that was my mother. I was on the road to be opinionated, I couldn’t help it. I began to play with the idea that I wanted to do chandeliers for my final projects. I was a little ashamed at not being a painter, watercolorist, potter, glass blower, architect, designer, or illustrator of books. I love all of these mediums but I just didn’t think it enough for me. I want my hands into anything and everything that I would make. The chandeliers seem to be the answer for me. I could make a tribute to all the women in my life by making a chandelier. I had seen all the beautiful chandeliers made by Chihuly, and believe me mine is not even close to his. When I had read that he had realized that chandeliers don’t have to be functional I was on my way. I think everyone wants their projects to be something that no one else has ever seen. I have asked myself over and over, is this really art, or, is this really as good as I think it is? The next piece I have attempted is a chandelier made out of a branch from an oak tree. Each chandelier will be adorned with different things that remind me of place. This oak branch will remind me of a place my father was from. It was a working farm in rural Northeast Texas where red dirt is known as iron ore. I have the lights wired for electricity but that is all for now.The third chandelier and the hardest so far is made up of stainless steel medical instruments. My dad was a Doctor in Northeast Texas and had bought out an old Doctor’s medical equipment when he retired. All of these instruments are older than me. I am paying tribute to woman with these instruments because I am only using the instruments used on woman. Honor the loss or of happiness that comes from a Doctor’s visit. The woman’s medical instruments will be hanging on a rod and will have lights hanging down and positioned in a way that will shine on the instruments for an extra brilliance. The fourth installation will be that of barbwire and chains. I am keeping this one true to itself with a few pieces of “bling”. This one is a thought in process. It is round with coiled barbwire wrapped about six or seven loops. I love to name my pieces but they only skim the surface of what I am trying to say. I think I have a hard time relating what “my” art says. Do I have to make sure the observer understands it? If I have to explain it is it still my art? The fifth chandelier is of all found objects from the yard and pieces of a light fixture that has been discarded. The basket part of this chandelier is an old hanging wire basket for flowers or plants. I put a piece of a “found light fixture” on top on that. I cleaned it up and painted it to resist heat because I haven’t decided what I am adorning this one with either. I have them rambling around in my head and now I’m thinking of some kind of order to add to them or not. I am not sure what my chandeliers are. I think they could be Assemblage, Found Art, or whatever category they will fall because I like all of it. I like looking at something that is familiar to me and preserving it in this manner. It will be forever a mystery of a once hidden secret that will remain as I look at it over and over again with a little smile to myself.
