Playing with graphics!

" The Mother Hale project really allowed me to play with different materials and graphics! It was the first time I tried cut paper since I was about 10. The graphics just felt right for this project and I wanted to create a sensitive and soft piece by mixing in watercolors as well.  This piece illustrates a  quote taken from a Ewe proverb, "A bird that survives infancy will survive adulthood." -Danielle

To read more about Mother Clara Hale :

Clara Hale had been living in Harlem since the 1960's, working as a domestic cleaner at night and taking care of foster children during the day in her small apartment. She witnessed firsthand the crisis taking place in her neighborhood and when her daughter brought her a baby found in the arms of a heroin addict at the park, she found it impossible to turn away. She quickly became known locally for her willingness to help and within two months, 22 drug infected infants resided at her home. Despite the general culture of fear about AIDS at the time, Hale was unafraid. She saw these "crack babies" as simply more children to help with her standard remedy of a song and a hug. Over the next decade, she would come to help hundreds more children and their parents, often fostering until addicted parents could successfully rehabilitate and then reunite with their families.

Her efforts earned her the nickname "Mother" Hale.

Being an Artist

"I became an artist because I love to create.  It's a part of my personality. I never really thought of being anything else... I thought drawing was something everyone did everyday. As a kid I always wanted new crayons and paper, and fortunately my parents encouraged and supported me. They signed me up for specialty art classes and just allowed me the freedom to create all the time. It has been a real blessing."-Danielle C. McManus

Textiles Art by Danielle C. McManus

Artist Spotlight Week: Danielle C. McManus

This weeks Artist Spotlight is Danielle C. McManus! Read her interview below!

Q: Why did you choose to become an artist?

A: Well I think I became an artist becomes I love to create.  It's apart of my personality and I never really thought of being anything else and I thought drawing was something everyone did everyday. As a kid I always wanted new crayons, and paper, and fortunately my parents encouraged and supported me. They signed me up for specialty art classes and just allowed me to have the freedom of creating all the time. It has been a real blessing.


Q: What kind of art do you like to do?

A: I love to do all different kinds of art! From painting, to  going out on location and doing reportage drawings,  and children's books. Recently I have been working on a major project about the Underground Railroad. The fact that I can draw out my history is amazing. 

Q: What did you find the most interesting while working on the Mother Hale Project?

A: I think what I found most interesting was that I had never heard of her! It made me realize how many important people have gone unnoticed in the world! This project also allowed me to do something different with my art and take my art into a new direction. I played with fabric, cut paper, oil paint, and woodcuts. The graphics of the information allowed me to really play with the graphics and different kinds of graphics. It really added to me as an artist.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with the Mother Hale Project?

A: With this project I would love to share my knowledge about Mother Hale with my art. I hope it will educate people and allow them to learn about someone they may not have ever heard of.

Q: Where do you see yourself as an artist's in 10 years?

A: I see myself writing more children's books and definitely traveling to other countries and states to do some drawings. I want to be the kind of artist that just has fun!

Sara Dilliplane

Sara Dilliplane, a set on Flickr.

To wrap up our Artist Spotlight week check out Sara Dilliplane on our Flickr!

The1104Studio's photostream

The1104Studio's photostream on Flickr.

Check out The 1104 Studio photostream!

Dalvero Mystic

Today artist and studio member Sara Dilliplane is featured on the Dalvero Mystic Facebook Page!
She along with 24 other artists including Danielle C. McManus and Rosa Lee will be exhibiting work at a Mystic Seaport gallery show called, Restoring A Past, Charting A Future.


See what Sara has to say about her project!
" When I learned of Mystic Seaport’s idea to sail the Charles W. Morgan after its restoration, I thought of how this journey would differ from the Morgan’s past whaling expeditions. I began to see the ship as a way to recommit to conservation rather than dwell on its past. My project focuses on the restoration process as a symbol of transformation, a chance to redefine our relationship to the sea. Rebuilding this ship can rewrite how we view and interact with the sea, particularly the whales that have survived a history of assault. I am especially interested in how music – the sailors’ sea chanteys and the underwater whale songs – can function as a metaphor for the restoration process and a tool for conservation efforts. Like the Morgan, music links the past to the present and, as communication, can change the way humans and whales understand each other."


Beautiful work Sara!

The Restoration of the Charles W. Morgan, Interior.

The Restoration of the Charles W. Morgan, Interior.

Whale as Ship

What Sara Hopes For

‎" Hale made me realize my tendency of overlooking those "everyday heroes" just because I didn't happen to come across them in a college textbook or the Times front page. Clara Hale made me see the importance of paying attention, which often doesn't take much more than looking up as you walk by a bus station in Harlem and bothering to read the name on the side of the building. With this project, I hope just a few more people start to pay attention to people like Clara Hale, ask a few more questions than they would otherwise, and grow..."-Sara Dilliplane