» Caren Ashford – Flower of Hope Pain Awareness Month

Caren Ashford – Flower of Hope

Name of Artist: Caren Ashford

Title of Piece: Flower of Hope

About the Piece: My pain is cold and hot, burning cold and burning hot all from a black place. Taking this as the blues (cold) red (hot) black(emotion) and bring them together and making something good in life as a flower that grows towards the light.

About the Artist: I was born in New Zealand, but spent 31 years overseas, living in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

I come from a business background and after 3 armed robberies in South Africa returned home with my Husband.

On returning home, I gradually became disabled and have been in a power chair for 6 years now, living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrom.

My illness has taken a lot of my mental and physical abilities, but has brought to the fore artistic and creative abilities I did not know I had.

I have been making and selling beaded jewellery since 2009.

At a low point in my life, family and friends gave us a trip on the inaugural cruise of the Pacific Pearl to New Calendonia, and I decided to make a fascinator and matching jewellery for the dresses I wore each night of the cruise, and to also renew our wedding vows.

I have found a new purpose in life and hope my works shows how I now perceive life: in colour, laughter, energy, vibrant, loud and as a distraction from pain.

I work with beads, and have a fascination with feathers, their colours and texture, flax , ribbon and unusual fabrics

This entry was posted on September 12, 2011. It was filed under Submission 2011 .