Featuring Marilyn Davidson: Fabric Collage as Art and Therapy

I am fascinated by other artists. As a type of art teacher myself, I find the journey artists make to their art especially interesting. How do they choose one media over another? What is it about the media they work in that speaks to them?

As a student of mine, you’ve seen Marilyn Davidson’s work here in my blog before. Besides being included in several “On the Road” posts, I featured her and her husband Joel in a blog post of their own, “Marilyn and Joel Davidson: Collaborators in Life and Art.” In that post I concentrated on their partnership as married artists.

I have visited Marilyn’s home in Connecticut, where I saw a sampling of the many, many forms of art media she has used for creating. From ceramics, to beading, to stitchery, I was awed by the variety of work she has done. I of course wondered then how she wound up doing fabric collage.

So, this week I want to try something new. I asked Marilyn to describe her artistic journey, in her own words, which I include here in its entirety. The photos of her work are by her husband Joel.

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My Creative Journey

by Marilyn Davidson

My creative journey started when I was a youngster. I belonged to a Community Center and took classes in painting, ceramics, mosaics and arts and crafts. My real interest in art, piqued in my college years. I attended Lesley College, a small school expressly for careers in Elementary Education. I gravitated to the Art Department on campus. I had enough credits to declare Art as my minor, concentrating on painting with oils. My junior year, I decided to pursue a degree in Art Education and was accepted to a program at the University of Michigan in their Art Education Department. My senior year, I met Joel, and my plans for art school were put on the back burner. I graduated from Lesley, taught fourth grade, we married and started a beautiful family.

My creative juices never stopped flowing and I continued painting. We lived in a small apartment and the odor from the oils forced me to put away my paints and pursue other avenues of creativity.

Pre-Fabric Collage

Throughout the years I have dabbled in many forms of art. I went through many stages and pursued many different mediums. I did countless crewel and needlepoint projects. I channeled my artistic needs into cooking and garnishing, making apples into birds, beets into roses and zucchini into sailboats filled with shrimp. I was the original “Edible Arrangements” and even had a little “Garnishing by Marilyn” business for a short while. I made birthday cakes in all shapes and themes. I did decoupage, decorating furniture and accessories. I had my own kiln and made many ceramic figurines and animals to decorate our home and give as gifts. Calligraphy was my next passion, making personalized stationary and gift enclosure cards. A beautiful bead store opened in my area and I became intrigued with creating beaded jewelry.

Fifteen years ago, I purchased a sewing machine. It had all the bells and whistles with embroidery capabilities. I took many, many classes, and tried many, many different techniques. I began to produce project after project which included baby quilts, quilted wall hangings, napkins, placemats, and pillows embroidered with beautiful designs. I used my large bead collection to embellish my quilts and other sewing projects. I went to workshops and quilt shows and fell in love with all fabrics, colors and patterns.

Discovering Fabric Collage

My quilting journey took me to a workshop in Texas where I observed a class Susan was giving. Susan’s technique sparked my interest immediately. I was compelled to take one of her workshops and I went to Harpswell, Maine to learn her technique. My first class was a real learning experience. My early love for painting and my new passion for fabric came full circle. The collage process was like painting with fabric and I fell in love. My collage work is my sanity. I get totally engrossed and relaxed. The possibilities are endless, and many enjoyable hours are spent working with beautiful materials. Susan has been an amazing mentor and I have met some of the most talented and supportive woman who have become good friends. I still enjoy making more traditional quilts and “gifty” type projects, but I feel I have found my niche in the collage technique.

Girl with Tambourine

My husband, Joel, is an accomplished photographer and I derive inspiration from his beautiful photographs. Many of his images are from trips we have taken together. Through my collage work, I can interpret my memories of our travels in my own way.  My most recent project was inspired by a painting that I saw of the prophetess Miriam playing her tambourine. I asked my granddaughter Ilana, to recreate the pose in the painting and Joel took the portrait for me. Like Miriam, Ilana is a leader and inspiration for others and I have enjoyed the ability to make my work so personal.

 

Maya

I have heard so much recently about “Art Therapy.” The definition states it is “a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of making art to improve a person’s physical and emotional wellbeing.” My granddaughter, Maya, passed away this past November [2017]. I have been compelled to use the collage art form to help me cope with her death. I have been working on a collage based on a picture taken of her at camp. In the image, she was so happy and alive. I often express my feelings by writing poetry. The picture of her running at camp inspired me to write a poem. I have modified the image taken of Maya at camp for my collage quilt, adding angel wings and her dear companion Curious George. In this quilt I decided to combine the collage technique with my early painting experience. I painted Maya’s face and collaged her body. I got much solace from working on it and thinking of my love and memories of my beloved granddaughter.

Grandma’s Dream

I dream of Maya at camp in Heaven
Adorned with angel’s wings.
A smiling face, her spirit free
Dancing while beautiful voices sing.

I envision a place enveloped in love.
As she unites with our loved ones that have passed.
They embrace Maya with open arms
In a utopia that lasts and lasts.

There are no more seizures for Maya to endure
She is at peace from all of that.
Maya is with me every day of my life
In my heart, she stays intact.

I feel Maya’s presence all around me
Her time on earth too brief.
I mourn her loss with much emotion.
My deep love for her explains my grief.

In her special way, Maya has touched the lives
Of those she has left behind.
Her innocence and helpful manner
In ourselves we all must find.

The photographs that document her life
Show her growth and the joy she had.
As I study each and every image,
They make me both happy and sad.

Daughter of my daughter,
My pain is magnified.
I wish the power to comfort my child,
From the void Maya’s passing left behind.

Why I ask does this have to be
There are no answers that are clear.
Life is sometimes unexplainable
For the things we hold so dear.

Some day I know we will meet again.
But for now I cling onto my dream.
I know I must appreciate the here and now
And continue to love the people I hold supreme.

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All images in this blog post Copyright © 2018 Marilyn Davidson.