Explore the whimsical world of the Homespun Girls: Stories of cut paper art
Namesake
The Homespun Girls are a collection of paper collage portraits constructed from recycled paintings, remnants of clothes patterns and collected colourful envelopes. Each girl has a name inspired by female American names of the 1930’s - 60’s. They are names that remind me of my fleeting yet impactful time living in the American Midwest in the early 80’s.
Americana
At the tender age of ten I vividly remember the look and feel of my American friends homes and the traces of interior legacies left from past decades. Timber panelled family rooms, Formica counter tops, broiler ovens, wet bars in living rooms for pouring an evening cocktail, fully fitted basements, air conditioning and sprinkler systems that popped right up from under the lawn. All these things left an impression and a memory of a time in life that, while not always easy, felt free and fun.
Six square images sourced from Unsplash
The Homespun Girls are a colourful exploration of stories and names that conjure a sense of simple pleasures, naive imagination and playful whimsy. Read on to meet the girls inspired by childhood memories and my playful sense of humour.
Beatrice
Beatrice is a Homespun Girl. She lives in a time of sustainable energy, where the concept ‘make do and mend’ is second nature and foraging for seasonal foods is commonplace. At weekends the internet is switched off so everyone has the opportunity to nurture favourite hobbies that would otherwise go by the wayside. Beatrice is a dab hand at sewing and loves hosting the local sewing bee on a Saturday morning. Ever since she added a Peter Pan collar to her favourite red dress they’ve become a slow fashion favourite. She’s teaching her friends how to make them too.
Judy
Judy and Beatrice have been best friends since Junior High School. They met at a sleepover at Donna’s house when they were ten years old and talked all night long. In the 6th Grade their lockers were right next to each other so they swapped notes between classes. Judy was originally from overseas and was never very certain how much conviction she should put into pledging allegiance to the flag every morning in class. She tended to gloss over a few of the key words and hoped for the best.
Donna
Like her homespun friends, Donna is a straight-laced gal. However this little lady likes to throw caution to the wind and go fruit picking without her factor 30. This time she’s caught the sun, but non the less feels fancy in her new polka dot dress and flowers in her hair. Or is it a branch or two of misplaced apple blossom; it’s hard to say?
Martha
This Homespun Girl is a little shy. She works part time at the local library and particularly enjoys organising the books in the 20th century history isle. She daydreams about what it would’ve been like to be a spy for French Resistance. Having a quiet, unassuming personality may have been an asset? Around town Martha likes to wear a beret.
Joan
Becoming a movie star is Joan’s secret ambition. She’s currently biding her time with theatrical evenings at the local amateur dramatics society. There’s talk of a talent scout from the West End coming to see their next performance. Joan wants to look her best for their arrival. Despite the current play being ‘Henry V’ she decided to style her hair like Anita from the original ‘West Side Story’ movie. She’s pleased with the blow dry but wonders if the purple rinse is a step too far?
Vivian
This no nonsense gal is the groups go to for event planning. She’s a natural delegator, knowns her way around a spreadsheet and can negotiate the hind legs of a mule. When it comes to the towns summer Corn Roast she’s got every detail covered. She has everyone pitching in to help with the things they do best. Such as putting Joan in charge of entertainment, asking Donna to bake apple pies for dessert and making sure Nancy is no where near the kitty. Nancy has a heart of gold and an eye for style but matching designer aprons are simply not necessarily, no matter how well coordinated they are.
Nancy
Nancy has a natural flare for interior styling. She developed this talent when she was small by continually rearranging the furniture in her childhood bedroom. Zhuzhing a room, any chance she gets, is still a favourite past time. Working full time in the local fabric shop is an absolute joy for Nancy. Hiding out among all the colourful bolts of cotton gives her a chance to study how the fabric patterns have been designed. If she plays her cards right she might be able to launch her own collection one day.
Sherry
As the name suggests, Sherry has a hidden talent for making a sweet tipple that’s a little stronger than fruit punch. There’s a cherry orchard at the bottom of her garden and at harvest time she saves a basket or two of fresh fruit for cherry wine. It’s made for medicinal purposes, of course, as some folks in town wouldn’t approve of such things. Although it is rather curious that no one’s put two and two together as to why the Wednesday rambling group (organised by Sherry and her friends) walk home with a twinkle in their eye and an extra spring in their step. Makes you wonder!
What happened next
The original collage portraits of the Homespun Girls caused quite a sensation at last years Bucks Art Weeks preview evening. All of the girls found new homes and so I just had to finishing their story…
At the party there was lot’s of chat about making new friends, swapping sewing patterns and who was going to be roomies with who. In the end Donna and Nancy decided a home in leafy Chesham sounded dreamy. Beatrice and Judy made plans to open a beautiful art gallery displaying portraits. Sherry was approached by a local artist and they’ve teamed up to make and market small batches of cherry wine. They intend to use recycled glass bottles with very fancy labels. The others felt drawn to the coast and so Vivian, Martha and Joan packed their bags and caught a ferry to the Isle of Wight. Their new favourite pastime is rockpooling and fishing for crabs; there’s even talk of learning to sail.
Three of the square images sourced from Unsplash
Now that you’ve got to know the Homespun Girls who will you choose to take home?
There are three ways to purchase a piece from the gorgeous Homespun Girls collection. Giclée prints from the print shop, Ali Copy Card greetings cards and as a full set of BRIGHT gift tags. Pop into the shop to choose your favourites.
