Lapis Luzuli – Shelley Smolen

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Artist: Frances Smolen

Title: Lapis Luzuli – Shelley Smolen

Attribution: Lapis Lazuli

Year: 2025

Materials: Collage using blue oil paint marbling and textured gold paint made by my young daughters on artist made Baltic Birch panel.

Dimensions: 27” x 20”

Image Statement: I create my artwork by piecing together small sections of my drawings, paintings, wood scraps, and designs and patterns my daughters make while working with me in the studio. Though my background is in sculptural woodworking, my art was forced to adapt and change after becoming a mother of three. The time, tools and specific studio setup were no longer accessible for my new life as a parent but I maintained a strong desire to preserve the patchwork quality in marquetry and similar crafts and the use of forgotten or unwanted remnants at the center of my artistic style. This stems from a love of upcycling or elevating overlooked scraps into a new work of art. My art requires a lot of time and patience as I puzzle handmade pieces together, forming my own version of meditation as I work. This new method of creating art has also become a fun outlet in our studio for my three daughters to “make pieces for mommy” and they have an active role in the making of my art. My daughters make painted paper using several different methods, and we are constantly testing out new ideas. They take great joy in seeing their pieces interwoven in the artworks I make and I look forward to seeing how this process will evolve as my three girls grow older.