I learned to sew as a child to make clothes for my dolls. My grandmother Mammastella, taught me to hand sew before allowing me to use her treadle machine. I learned how to thread and maintain this sewing machine. At the same time, I loved drawing and from there designing clothes and shoes. She also taught me to crochet and my former sister-in-law Gwen, taught me various crochet patterns. But then I became an adult…
I experienced an existential crisis when my mother was diagnosed with terminal triple X breast cancer. Suddenly, I yearned for the comfort of my childhood toys-namely my dolls. But, I wanted a handmade doll, not something from a department store. I bought a book on making prim (primitive) dolls and animals and started from there. I also began drawing and painting again. “Why did I ever stop?”
I showed off my first efforts to friends and began making more using the patterns of others before branching out to experiment with developing my own patterns utilizing the techniques I’ve learned over the years while practicing creativity in other genres of art.
*Lakewood Community Art Show – 2013 2nd place (Painting Untitled)
*William Grant Still Cultural Center Art Doll Show: “Wakanda” – 2014
*Long Beach Main Library Dollandia 2015-Feb 2016
*Long Beach Art Holiday 2016 submission 2 dolls
*Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona 2018 – Millard Sheets Art Center (MSAC) Show Theme:
Route 66 partnered with Julia Bui for art installation honoring the biannually published safe travel book for African Americans titled The Negro Motorist Green Book by Victor H. Green.