by Carol on 4/9/2009 9:16:32 AM
"A Golden Gathering" - 19 x 26" w/c
4. A brilliant rose pigment leapt from the tip of my brush and swirled across the wet paper to meet the more settled cobalt blue. As they merged in the water, they sometimes mated to make purple, other times they blended into a sweeping swirl of red & blue. Watercolors and I "danced" together for over 15 years. During this time I became involved in several local art groups, became a signature member of the prestigious Transparent Watercolor Society of America, exhibited in several juried art shows, juried a few shows, taught art classes and exhibited in outdoor art fairs.
5. Meanwhile, my husband Bob North, introduced me to women's history in 1983, and unbeknownst to me, the book he gave me "Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier," by Joanna L. Stratton, changed my life. The book chronicles life on the Kansas prairie through autobiographical manuscripts written by hundreds of 19th-Century women. Their stories spoke to me directly and for the first time in my life I found a sense of community. Over 50 books, fiction & non-fiction, about and by the women of the 1800's fill our book shelves. In 1989, I confessed to Emily Ann as she was dying, that I wanted to paint a large series of paintings about these courageous women.
6. It took 5 years before I 'discovered' the image that would commemorate the contributions 19th-Century women made to this country. Their hands became the icon that I used to give them a visual voice. 26 paintings & drawings were created during 6-7 years for my large body of work entitled "No Time for Idle Hands: 19th-Century Women on America's Northern Plains & Prairies." I painted their hands washing clothes, gathering wheat, protecting their children, etc.
7. With this large body of work, I have had 9 exhibitions in 5 different states, 2 national magazine articles, 5 newspaper reviews, several speaking engagements, 1 television spot, 5 awards, 11 sold, 1 stolen, 1 censored, over 15 commissions, taught several artists how to draw the hand, and written a book.
...to be continued.
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