Darlene Hermann will be one of several artists featured at Affirmations Pittman puckett Gallery beginning March 14. Photo courtesy of Darlene Hermann.
Darlene Hermann was 64 when she began doing art three and a half years ago. Now it is a major part of her life.
"I met a woman who did mosaic art and who encouraged me to try it. Well, I did and I never looked back. Within six months, I redid my basement into a studio and was finding myself doing mosaics in most of my spare time. My life work was as an insurance agent and financial planner, which is about as far away from artist as I can imagine. But at 64, I was eager to work less in this field and do more of something that gave me pleasure," she said.
Hermann does mosaic pictures as well as mosaics on objects, such as frames, shoes and even a mannequin. Working out of the studio in her Farmington Hills home, she cuts the colorful glass pieces herself and carefully hand places them into the work. Often she recycles found objects into the multi-media pieces.
For the first time ever, Hermann's work will be showcased in an exhibition. The Older Adult Art show at the Pittman-Puckett gallery at Affirmations opens on March 14 with a reception from 7 – 9 p.m. Several senior artists will be featured in a variety of mediums.
Hermann hopes this will be a chance to make her first sale. She described her work in an artist statement for the exhibit, stating "My body of work is very diverse, ranging from mirrors and mannequins to windows, wall hangings and masks. Mosaics give me the freedom to create using a large range of materials including stained glass, fused glass, beads, stones, shells, and on and on. What I especially love is that each project is new and different and presents an exciting challenge.
"So, as an 'older adult' I am continuing to grow and learn. I haven't really studied mosaics per se but took a class in experiencing color and am now taking a design class at Oakland Community College. I encourage you to try something new, something you've never dared to do, give it a shot and see what happens. It's opened up a whole new world for me."
Find out more about the exhibit by visiting the Affirmations website at http://www.goaffirmations.org. See more of Hermann's work on her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Darlene-Hermann-Mosaics/153946058094350.
