We all remember dolls from childhood, either our own or those of family members, some new and some antique. In the latter category, facial expressions exhibited variety. For those sensitive to detail, one could imagine some of those baby dolls spoiling for a fight. Dolls resemble human beings, and handmade dolls today most often express more than physical likeness.
As a young girl, Louisiana artist Lucy Landry sewed. She grew up in a family where generations of women nurtured this skill. For Lucy, “The thread of needlework provided a window to the past and a door to the future.”
She appropriated scraps from her mother’s sewing projects and fashioned clothes for her dolls. She refined her skills in later years by working on any kind of fabric in the production of slipcovers, shoes, fabric for walls, and fiber dolls. It was during her research of handmade dolls that she discovered the intricate detail that could be achieved with a needle, and she was hooked.
Her professional training as an occupational therapist included a background in anatomy and kinesiology of the human body, both useful references in the creation of her work. Landry is attentive not only to the form but also to the content, the history or back story, of each individual doll. According to Landry, “The body language of the doll creates the mood or story. The face and hands tell who she is and what she can accomplish. Ancient roots of the doll figure provide basic content in my work. Textural bits and pieces of fabrics, fibers, and beads are layered and shaped on the form to complete the story.”
Landry tends to work in series and titles such as “The Ancient Ones,” “Wise Women,” and “Portrait Series” indicates her attention to details of the body and mind. She focuses on hand embroidery and stitching to reveal facial details and embellishments of the body. She uses cotton floss and a variety of other threads, especially pearl cottons, for much of the hand work.
In her most recent artwork, Landry experiments with the unpredictable techniques of wet and dry felt. The result of each process is quite similar though the technique is different. Landry likes the challenge of the unpredictable and pushes the medium to create dolls which are not only finely crafted but also expressive as small scale sculptural form.
Lucy Landry is a member of the Contemporary Fiber Artists of Louisiana and her work is on display in the St. Tammany Art Association exhibition, Hanging by a Thread. To see more of her work, visit www.lucylandrydesigns.com
If you were out and about during Spring for Art, you may have noticed a new addition to the art scene: Fielding Gallery, 525 East Boston St. in downtown Covington. Though the grand opening for this new multidisciplinary space is not until July, the public is welcomed to a sneak peek from now until then. On display is work by area artists in two and three dimensions, abstract, figurative, and in some cases, a combination of both.
One of the best-known names featured is that of a man who has devoted time and energy to the civic and cultural life of the community. Former Covington mayor, city planner, landscape designer, former Chair of the Board of the St. Tammany Art Association, expert on all things Elvis, charter member of the Ancient Order of Southern Gourmets, and participant in the Spring for Art, “Over the Top Chefs’ Competition,” Keith Villere uses metal to create fanciful sculptural reliefs combining his interest in the environment and aquatic life of Louisiana.
To fully appreciate his craft is to view his cut-outs installed in natural surroundings rather than on the minimal walls of a gallery. The metal forms function in both settings, but the interaction between the colorful designs and organic shapes is especially suited to outdoor spaces or rooms with a view.
His work is widely collected so keep your eyes open when visiting friends on the north shore, and you may recognize objects in his signature style. For more information about Keith Villere, contact Fielding Gallery at 373.4777.