• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

CLARA NARTEY |Unlock Your Creative Potential

Creativity, Thread Sketching, Art Quilters, Fiber Artists

  • Start Here
    • The Artist
    • Artworks
    • Exhibitions
  • Work with Clara
    • Hire Clara
    • Take a Course
  • Media + Press
  • Blog
  • Contact

All Lit Up

July 1, 2022 by Clara Nartey 2 Comments

Hey Friend, The Joy of Living is found in simple everyday things. Yet these moments come and go so fast that it’s easy to forget them and to focus on the unpleasant moments which somehow, tend to linger in our minds longer than the joyous ones do. When someone says something to you and it makes you light up with a smile, how long does it last? Think about it. Really. How long do you wear a grin on your face all lit up about something or someone? Not very long. Right?

Yep. That’s exactly what I mean when I say joy is fleeting unless you capture it.

Textile art by Clara Nartey
All Lit Up (detail), 2022 by Clara Nartey, Threads and Inks on Cotton, 40″ x 30″

In this new piece of work titled – “All Lit Up”, I capture the joy on the face of a young woman with threads and inks on cotton fabric.

Thread Painting | Thread Work | Machine Embroidery | Free Motion Quilting
All Lit Up (detail), 2022 by Clara Nartey, Threads and Inks on Cotton, 40″ x 30″

Firstly, the twinkle in her eye, and the creasing at the corners of her eyes as she’s all lit up, reveals her inner emotions.

Art Quilt | Quilt Portrait | Facial Features | Faces | Eye Detail | All Lit Up
All Lit Up (detail), 2022 by Clara Nartey, Threads and Inks on Cotton, 40″ x 30″

All Lit Up – Hair Styling

Furthermore, in “All Lit Up”, the subject is wearing an updo hairstyle. High hairstyles towering on top of the head have been a part of African traditional coiffure for ages.

All Lit Up (Detail) | Thread Art | Thread Work | Textile art | Fiber Art
All Lit Up (detail), 2022 by Clara Nartey, Threads and Inks on Cotton, 40″ x 30″

Most importantly, the head being the most elevated part of the human being is believed to be the closest part of our bodies to the Divine, the heavens or the gods. Therefore, the higher your hairstyle, the more easily you can communicate with the Divine. (Similar reasoning behind wearing elaborate hats)

All Lit Up | Thread Painting | Free Motion Quilting | Free Machine Embroidery | Textile Art | Black Hair
All Lit Up (detail), 2022 by Clara Nartey, Threads and Inks on Cotton, 40″ x 30″

In “All Lit Up”,I decorated the hairstyle with cowries. Cowries are the yellow/orange oval shapes you see hanging from the hair. Cowries are the shells of a variety of small sea snails (between 1-4 inches in size), which are found in the coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Black Hair Styles | Thread Sketching | Thread Painting | Machine Embroidery | Textile art | Clara Nartey
All Lit Up (detail), 2022 by Clara Nartey, Threads and Inks on Cotton, 40″ x 30″

In appearance, cowries look like porcelain. As a result, the original word for porcelain in the Italian language is similar to the word for cowries. The variety of cowrie shells called the golden cowrie was worn by royalty in the Pacific Islands. Until the 19th century, the money cowrie (a yellow variety) was used as currency in Africa, Asia, and other places.

Hair Cowries | Textile art | Clara Nartey | All Lit Up | Thread Painting | Textile Portraits | Textured Art
All Lit Up (detail), 2022 by Clara Nartey, Threads and Inks on Cotton, 40″ x 30″

Understanding Cowries

Moreover, in Africa, not only were cowrie shells used as currency, they were also used as body adornment, jewelry, hair decorations, sewn into clothing and more. As a result, wearing money (cowrie shells) on your body was definitely a status statement.

Although cowrie shells are no longer used as money, their relevance as a symbol of wealth is still appreciated today. For example, in Ghana, my native country, the national currency is the Cedi. Cedi is the name for cowrie in one of the most widely spoken local languages of Ghana – Twi.


All Lit Up by Clara Nartey | Cowries | Black Hair Styles | Smile |Textile Art | Textured Art
All Lit Up, 2022 by Clara Nartey, Threads and Inks on Cotton, 40″ x 30″

In conclusion, I’m happy to present “All Lit Up” to you. It is beautifully adorned inside out. Outside, with her beautifully adorned hair and clothes. And inside, with her brilliant smile that radiates out, capturing a moment of joy.

This piece is part of the Joy of Living series (explore the series).

Warmest Regards,

Clara's Signature

Get behind the scenes and learn more about my art practice, events, exhibitions and release of new artworks


JUST ONE MORE STEP...... Success! Now you need to check your email to confirm your subscription. The subject will be [confirm your subscription] Once you click the link in this confirmation email, you will be on your way to receiving exclusive C-Letters meant for Clara's Friends only. Don't forget to confirm your email. Warmest Regards, Clara

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

I won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Comments

  1. Vicky Gailey says

    August 9, 2022 at 12:40 am

    Amazing!

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      August 9, 2022 at 3:25 pm

      Thanks Vicky 🙏🏾

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

joy of living
Next »
Return to menu
Intersect Chicago | Sofa 2022 | Art Fair
« Previous

Creativity

Professional Development

Creative Confidence Boost

Thread Sketching Videos

Thread Sketching Techniques

Surface Design

Textile Art Collector

Textile Art Business

 

Let's Connect on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Copyright © 2023 · All images copyrighted by the artist, Clara Nartey,
and are not to be copied or reproduced in any manner.
Privacy Policy|Terms and Condition|Disclaimer

Copyright © 2023 · Aspire Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in