Heartbeat of the Community 2006

*visit Heartbeat of the Community 2006 webpage

*Click photo thumbnails on your left to see larger photos of the hearts.

Heartbeat of the Community was a new venture for the CowParade Corporation. It's mission was to support the Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular Center of the Danbury Hospital (Connecticut) and I am very proud to have been a part of that effort.

I have created two hearts for the 'Heart Parade'. The first one I called "Feeling Retro" and the second was called "Heart Nouveau". In the auction catalog "Feeling Retro" was described as: "Couples talk and dance in a depiction of a 1920's era nightclub, rendered in a style that evokes the period".

I've always had a weird fascination with the 1920's and that time period's symbol, the Flapper. I've always felt very free as a woman and I feel that the 1920's era reflect my feelings, because that was the time when women finally felt liberated and decided to become their own people.

The second heart, ("Heart Nouveau") was a tribute to art nouveau, one of my favorite art styles. It was also a bit of a tribute to Gustav Klimt, one of my favorite artists. I constantly flipped through the pages of a book on Klimt that I own, while I was painting this heart. Looking at Klimt's beautiful art really inspired me to keep going.

My deadline was very tight. I had to produce both hearts within a month and I had to do it while working full time, studying and having other art projects to complete. Needless, to say I didn't get any sleep that month. Of course, it was well worth it, because of the money Heartbeat of the Community was able to raise for the Danbury Hospital.

*Click photo thumbnails on your left to see larger views of the hearts