The very first, original Sapphire from 2007 is always on my work table, with other beautiful objects that make my eyes happy.
I made her when I came back from a seminal 7 week Milan-to-Sicily tour of Italy a year after graduating Art School. We drove an RV from city to city, and went to museums, galleries, cathedrals, ruins, castles and tombs. I was high on breathtaking renaissance art, stunning architecture, beautiful old places and unforgettable Italian landscapes. It was like a surreal fever dream. I was so happy.
One day I picked up a free magazine at a train station in Rome, and saw a beautiful girl modelling a wedding dress. I tore it out, stuffed it in my backpack, and it travelled across Italy with me. As soon as I returned home, I painted Sapphire from that crumpled page in my backpack. She is my muse of Italy. She inspired many dolls. That’s why she sits on my desk under a glass dome, like a precious and rare artifact.
Do you have a creative event or a moment like that changed you forever?