From painting canvases to cutting and sewing original outfits using men's cotton dress shirts into an artistic fashion statement (as she dons while diligently painting in her studio), Wendy Coad can do it all! That's because she sees things with a keen artistic eye with either the colors she uses, the fabric she buys (thrift, that is), the paints used for her artwork (HUGE and small pieces), and even dabbling in the fiber arts as she wields her sewing machine to fine fashion items to wear in her lair.
Wendy is also a talented writer, and humble about her prose. If you recognize her name, it's because she was a Manufacturing Sunshine guest blogger last year since she wrote an awesome piece about the Writer's Retreat in France (April 2023), as well as articulating the Chateau we all stayed in for the week. I'm not sure if anyone could have captured all the feelings we all shared of being together as Wendy did.
Lately, Wendy has a full plate of writing, painting (by her own admission, she painted over 3,000 during the pandemic!), sewing, and, like a female version of Bob Ross (who hosted The Joy of Painting for a decade), she shares her art studio and what she does in there (building content) through her YouTube videos. So far, Wendy has recorded 33 videos that are easily accessible if interested. She recently mentioned that her #8 video has over 1000 views, so that is the link to start with and shared here: WendyCoadArt:
Since Wendy has her MFA (I threw it in there for good measure because she is a Master of the Fine Arts and more!) and her husband, Steve, lives in Philly, we get together for lunch in Havre de Grace, MD. Good seafood restaurants are about an hour's drive for each of us whenever the timing is good for all.
As one can imagine, Wendy has a compelling life story -and it's not only the art. I am urging her to publish her memoir (at 19 years old, she traveled the entire world with her sister - with stories galore!) that is done or almost done.
I'm thrilled to call this gentle, friendly, very talented artist/writer/YouTuber/sewist, and happy person my friend.
bSoleille!
Terri
The photo below is by Wendy. How cute are those overalls she fashioned in the last week or two? NOTE: The top part is made from the opened-up sleeves of the men's shirts, and the bottom is the shirt tails (with hem intact) - all perfectly measured from what I can see, and looking terrific as she dances around her art studio!
