By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Works of art that were meant to preserve memories of loved ones turned into an addictive hobby for a Stockton native.
Cindy McDowell, 74, creates shadow boxes using vintage jewelry.
Her art is on display now through Saturday at Professor's, 521 E. 11th, Hays.
She created her first piece after her grandmother died using pieces of her jewelry.
She decided to repeat the effort after her mother died, creating an elaborate Christmas tree.
"When I look at them, I see the pear pin that my mother wore. She wore it a lot. She had a turtle pin that she wore all the time. When I see those, I know who they belonged to, and that brings a memory," she said.
She made a mermaid for her bathroom and in the foreground is her grandmother's rosary box. Her name was inscribed in gold on the box.
"Whenever I see that, it's neat because you know it is a piece of your family," she said. "The earrings that are in the tail are grandma's earrings."
Although she dabbled with the craft before, when her mother died she now had her mother's jewelry, her aunt's jewelry who died before her mother and the remainder of her grandmother's jewelry. Her creativity exploded.
Although women have been creating these mixed-media displays for years, McDowell brings a modern flair to her pieces by using her scrapbooking skills.
"I have scrapbooked for years, but there are only so many baseball, basketball and football games you can do," she said of the scrapbooks she created for her grandchildren.
McDowell said she picks out a central piece of her work. It could be a turtle, hummingbird or butterfly. Many of the centerpieces of her work are colorful vintage broaches.
She uses scrapbook paper, beads and scrapbook embellishments to fill in the backgrounds.
Once she starts gluing, a piece may take an hour or two to complete, but the creative process may be more involved, she said.
"I'll wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning and think, 'Oh, that will work there,' " she said. "Then I have to go downstairs and find the jewelry I'm thinking about."
McDowell, who worked in banking for more than 40 years, sells her artwork. However, she said she barely is able to recoup the cost of the materials and the frames. She keeps creating because she loves it.
The hunt for new pieces of jewelry is part of the excitement. Now, when she travels, her plans include visiting local thrift stores to shop for overlooked gems.
McDowell occasionally does commissioned pieces for family members, but she said she prefers not to. She says it's too much pressure.
McDowell's art also can be seen and purchased at Funky Junky or Now and Then Treasure Chest in Stockton.