Introducing 'Miss Lantana'. This is a very special piece. What started as a professional relationship, has turned into a personal relationship. My now dear friend Alie Corday helped me to first show my sculptures at the Rosewood Tuckers Point Hotel & Spa in Bermuda. Alie is no longer with the hotel, but she continues to support my endeavors. In the time that Alie and I have known each other, Alie is now engaged to the love of her life, John Young. John's family in Bermuda were the owners of the Lantana Colony Club, a spectacularly beautiful property in Somerset, Bermuda. The property has been sold and is being redeveloped as we speak. However, in the days prior to the sale of the property, Alie and I had a chance to wonder the property on a sunny spring day. We collected Lantana dinner plates with the intent of creating a sculpture.
The outer rims of the dinner plates have become the ruffle at the bottom of the skirt. Lantana also had wonderful chandeliers hanging in the main dining room. Alie was able to collect some of the Italian hand blown glass elements from the chandeliers. The chandeliers were comprised of grapes and grape leaves. We were able to re-purpose one of the leaves at the waist and the grapes at the neckline. When Alie presented me with these items, I really wasn't sure at all how the leaf at the waist was going to work out. I am truly thrilled with this element and delighted with how it turned out!
The 'middles' of the dinner plates were decorated with the logo from Lantana, beautiful script and gray and pink fan coral. We thought it was important to include these portions of the plates into the design of the skirt. As there were not enough plates left to fill the whole skirt, we worked what we could into the overall skirt also using white Italian tile.
I can't tell you how happy I am with this piece. Some pieces are just more 'successful' than others.
'Miss Lantana' is truly a successful, collaborative piece and a beautiful way to commemorate a special place in Bermuda. Thank you Alie and John for sharing your family history with me and having the confidence in me to create something unique and beautiful with your treasured heirlooms.
