Vintage by Cathy
www.ArtPal.com/mzltvArt can imitate life. For me, my company, Vintage by Cathy, does just that. As a full-time therapist, I help people with their problems. It is tremendously satisfying and meaningful. I help people find a way to put the pieces of their life back together. Like every good therapist, I teach my clients to look at the past. I do this so they can learn from the broken parts and see them in a new positive light. In some ways, this parallels what I do with my art. I take the broken pieces of an antique, look at its past history and rearrange it into something beautiful and new.
I dropped my grandmother's favorite china teacup, one she had lovingly left to me. For a few minutes, I thought I could pick up the pieces and glue it all back together.
My childhood memories of her beautiful table flashed through my mind. Her southern charm as a hostess, her elegant taste, her attention to detail and the happiness she had sharing it all with her family. When I realized I could not restore the teacup shards to their original shape, I was initially heartbroken. Then inspiration struck. I smashed what remained of the broken cup into even more pieces. This was the start of giving the teacup a new life. I reassembled the fragments and sealed them into the shell of a belt buckle. This was the first beautiful piece that launched my company, Vintage by Cathy.
I love to travel and spend hours scouring estate sales and antique markets for unique treasures. I look for everything from costume jewelry to vintage pocket watches. I imagine the journey of each piece, the story it could tell, and how I will bring it back to life. I am true to each piece by restoring missing stones and parts with ones from the same era. I decide whether it will become a piece in one of my mosaics , a necklace, bracelet, buckle or earring based on the piece's shape, size and history. Each piece should be true to its period, yet contemporary. I research the history behind every find, often uncovering something special about its original owner. This confluence of history is included with each hand-made piece, tying together the individual elements in a re-birth for another generation
Rock Star Forever
Jewelry