When Life Gives You Lemons...Make Art

Artist: Cynthia Toops

Materials: polymer clay, metal, steel, ink

Dimensions: 2.6" x 2.1" x .3"

Beneficiary: Artist Trust is a not for profit organization dedicated to supporting Washington artists working in all creative disciplines.  Artist Trust provides artists the time and resources necessary to continue their work and prosper.

Artist Statement: 2020 is a year of challenges and heartbreak - a year we are hit with one blow after another with scarcely time to breathe. Anxiety, frustration, depression and hopelessness creep in, until overcome with exhaustion, we are ready to give up. As an artist, my way of dealing with the pandemic, upcoming election, issues of inequality and racism, loss of lives and livelihood, is to keep busy. I have made masks for family, friends and myself. I have made jewelry, some with political themes, and volunteered for letter writing campaigns. For this show I did not want to do another political piece, but to share my way of coping with distress - keep working and make something positive. “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is tweaked to “when life gives you lemons, make art.” In the spirit of the title, I chose a metal bangle that didn’t fit and converted it into a bezel. The juggling imagery seemed appropriate for our hectic lives with so many tasks chasing our limited time and resources.