Create, Renew, Restore at Alliance Art Gallery
Create, Renew, Restore by Pat Kerns
In 2023, Julia Deckard, a software engineer living in Warsaw, Illinois, fell in love with her bridal bouquet…so much that she decided to recreate it in paper. What started as a hobby grew into a part time business in 2024, after numerous requests to make flowers from friends and family.
Julia prefers to work from the actual the flower, especial when making a particular bloom for the first time. But that isn’t always possible and more often works from photographs especially when recreating bridal bouquets.
While doing research to recreate her own bouquet she discovered paper flower creator Lia Griffith and the German crepe paper she now sources through Griffith. When making her flowers Julia sometimes tints the paper with pastels.
As the guest artist in May, Julia will be bringing a variety of flowers to the Alliance Art Gallery. She will also be taking orders for commissions while exhibiting in Hannibal.
Veronica Sandercock will be bringing a very special version of beauty to the gallery this month, introducing her version of Kintsugi pottery, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. Many potters have their own collection of broken pots. Over the years, Veronica has saved many of her broken pieces, intending to find a way to use them. When Veronica and Adriana Brown decided to collaborate during the months of May and June as gallery Spotlight Artists, Adriana’s work as an art therapist and some of her paintings about brokenness of the human spirit led Veronica to pursue this art of repairing those damaged pots with gold. The philosophy of Kintsugi is that a broken piece repaired with gold is stronger than before, just like the human spirit can become even stronger with the hard work of putting the self back together.
As a child, Veronica spent a lot of time in her room drawing and doing all kinds of art forms and would go on to she receive a BFA degree from Quincy University. During her studies there, she took a variety of art classes including two pottery classes where she found her love of creating pots. She has taught in public school, mostly in the High School Alternative Program. Veronica and an artist friend currently operate two businesses, the Pop Up Art Studio, providing art experiences for children in schools and at parties and special events.
An opening reception will be held for these artists on May 10, 2025 from 4:00 until 7:00. There will be an artist’s talk at 6:00. This event is free and open to the public. While you are there, take a “Color Walk”. Patrons can choose a color card and then browse through the gallery looking for that color. It’s a wonderful way to take some time to wind down and restore.
