The Faceries Story
As the creator of Faceries, I am on a mission to showcase the beauty, diversity and splendor of women in our world. The project began in March 2019, with an idea to create three women’s faces to post to social media in celebration of International Women’s Day. Since Women’s History Month also is observed in March and the post were so well received, I continued my project, creating and posting the faces of different women for thirty-one days in a project I titled Her Face | Her Style | Her Grace©.
Women were captivated by and expressed seeing themselves or someone they knew in the images’ details. The essence, beauty and characteristics captured in the faces speaks to my creativity as an artist and curiosity as a people-watcher.
Whether making and decorating mud pies with leaves and sticks from the yard in my Savannah childhood home or living among and learning from Chinese artisans the skill of crafting beautiful jewelry using ancient techniques, I have always been a creative being.
I would often find myself people-watching, gazing upon the faces of the many women around me — my Mother, the sheroes, the mentors, the church ladies, the clerks, the professionals, my teachers, the school nurse — they all were intriguing in their own rite. Their hair, makeup, eyes, faces shapes piqued my curiosity for one reason or another.
These statuesque and seemingly larger-than-life women in my world were much more than faces or arbitrary people. Their faces carried stories of struggle, triumph and celebration. They represented the many walks of life that women trod every, single day. From the sassy church lady to the bold and beautiful African Queen, this is who we are. I am them. They are me. We are each other.
Our faces define us — whether superficially or deeply. We wear them, even if they are masked. Our faces represent voices that are often unheard and, beyond that facade, stories untold. This is why I Make Faces© and, in essence, “write” stories — rich, life stories that illustrate, celebrate and personify women.
Take a look around! You just might see a glimpse of yourself or someone you know!