Our Ladies of Perpetual Housework

These sculptures began years and years ago, with a book on folk art that I got at the library. Big book with lots of pictures from all over the world. I’ve gone back and looked for that book, because it made such an impression on me, but I can’t find it. One of the pictures in the book was of a front yard grotto, a shrine to the Virgin Mary, with an actual bathtub, up-ended and partly buried in the ground, as her niche. I just loved that and started buying dolly bath tubs and silver leafing them. It’s harder than you think to find doll bathtubs that are just right. I like the claw foot tubs best. I knew I wanted to make some sort of miniature grotto, but I don’t know that I knew what about yet, so the bathtubs sat in a drawer in my studio for a while.

Then, there was this period of time when my husband had a three hour commute—each way. Each way. For two years. More of the dishes and laundry fell to me than ever had before. So I made Our Lady of Perpetual Dishes, which is my sincere plea for help. It’s a true expression of how overwhelmed I felt by all the dishes. People smile when they see these sculptures, which I love, and they are intended to make you smile, but know that they arose from this sincere expression of how I felt.