I can still remember how much fun The Pink House was to make, even though it’s been almost 15 years. I had finished the 2 year project of making  illustrations for Mary Had a Little Lamb and was ready to burst out with something bold and unplanned. I sorted through boxes of objects that I’d been collecting, selecting parts to use.

The hair pins and costume jewelry were from grandmother’s things.  The key and New York subway token were found in her desk drawer. I try to find things that can be sewn. Even the shells used for the breasts were earrings with convenient holes already drilled, making it easier to sew them down. I prefer to sew things in place and not use glue, which is messy and unpredictable. With stitches, if somethings doesn’t work, you can always rip it out and try again.

hair pins

 Some of the objects I’ve sewn on include a miniature silver lock, man and dog buttons, a girl with umbrella charm and a bakealite flower button. The woman”s headdress is a pin made of a cluster of shells.

sketch for “The Pink House”

The Pink House  was one of the first pieces I made with wool felt. The red felt is from an old maternity top my late mother had from the 50’s.  The woman is holding a doll house sized plastic frying pan from my childhood. Queen With Duster is another piece I made with my grandmother’s found objects during the same period. You can see it on this post here.

I’m so glad that my mother saved some of her children’s artwork. I don’t remember this childhood drawing and just found it when I was cleaning my parents’ house.  I can’t help notice some similarities between this drawing done when I was seven and The Pink House. They both have a bold central figure in a dress, with arms raised, gesturing hands, a head-piece and circle cheeks.

drawing by Salley at age 7