Happy-to-Help Hand

Since embarking on the 100-art-dolls challenge, I’ve experienced a renewed, healthy attitude toward my work as an artist. I still enjoy painting, however this collaboration with Stacey provides me with an opportunity to explore and exercise my interest in sculpture. Repeated themes such as spirituality are an outcome of one of the underpinning purposes of the project: that the images and pieces created somehow reflect the artists’ values and, at times, autobiographical elements. No coincidence that the site is called, “myartself”. However, the reward that I have experienced through examination of intentions and reasons for creating certain pieces continues to surpass my expectations. This submission, the Happy-to-Help Hand, is probably the simplest and most spontaneous of my sculptures since beginning the challenge.

Again, with reference to Stacey’s article in Astarte’s Mega-Zine (Issue 4), the Hamsa image for this piece specifically referred to, response to community. Many people made direct comments to me with regard to what they saw and read www.myartself.com. However I never expected to receive a subsequent series of generous gestures: people started to give me odds and ends with the intention of my somehow using them in my art work. The gift-giving often came with explicit explanations that what I received was no longer of value or use in addition to comments such as, “I’m happy to help.” Regardless of rationale, I always felt grateful and acknowledged. I even received a small (anonymous) package through the mail, some contents from which became the letters that spell out Happy (look at the finger-tips) on the Happy-to-Help Hand. Thank you who ever you are. The Happy-to-Help Hand was made from an armature of polystyrene and papeir mache. All other materials were found or unwanted objects. My aim was to create a representation of my thanks to those who helped me in this project.

(This post relates to Happy-to-Help Hand, Arrigo Dorissa art doll #9, February 2008)