UNEARTHED: THE GRIT GRRLS

By: Sherri Gamble

The Grit Grrls is a collection of female heroines that have inspired my journey on this earth. They represent the beauty, resilience, and bravery that lies within the feminine spirit….with a twist of Riot Grrl.

In my childhood, I struggled to breathe due to asthma. Quarantine fostered my strong sense of wonder, as well as pairs of running shoes. Running was simple and cheap. The more I ran, the more my lungs developed. Wilma Rudolph inspired me to hurdle and run. Suffering from polio, she was told she would never walk again. In the 1960s, Wilma became the fastest woman runner in the world. Through her, I learned the power of triumph. Baba Yaga, the mythical witch goddess, was there too. Gathering glue, sticks, and mud for me to sculpt as I entered the thicket of woods behind my house. Closing my eyes to travel and imagine as a child, then fast forward to driving my van on another solo adventure as my inner Calamity Jane and Annie Oakley spirits appear.  Alice Roosevelt was also a wild child. Living her life as President Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter did not mean she had to fit the mold. Instead she made her own.

The ability to be brave under adversity, forge your own path, and thrive through it all is the key to being a Grit Grrl. Each panel is cast in plaster, hand-printed and abstractly layered. As a plaster artist, grit is the essence of my material world. Using materials like limestone, clay, and marble provides me endless opportunities to express and create depth. As a way to bring a sense of touch and tactility, I also use plaster to cast and capture hands through community art projects. Plaster beautifies, narrates, and heals.

More Information:
Sherri Gamble
www.earthhousestudio.com
www.thehandheldproject.org