What started as a blind date in 1989 has turned into a life as spouses, adoptive parents and fellow artists for east Cobb residents P.J. Floyd and Ricky Frank.
For years, Floyd pursued a dance career while her husband honed his skills as a jeweler and cloisonne artist. But she was always with him when he took his pieces around the country to select art shows.
“He needed someone to help him sell, so we started going to shows together,” said Floyd. “And soon I was meeting these amazing artists. When we began thinking about having children, I was moving away from dance but needed an artistic outlet. So I decided to go for it and do art, too.”
Floyd took the piles of fabric, wire and yarn she used to sew dance costumes and created a high-end line of stuffed animals for adults.
The smallest are 3-inch birds; the biggest was a 3-foot egret. The designs so impressed the curators of the upcoming American Craft Council exhibit at the Cobb Galleria that they offered Floyd a spot.
Not only will the March 10-13 show be the first time Floyd has participated in an ACC show, it’s also the first time she’ll have a space adjacent to her husband.
“I’ve done the show since 1995, but this is P.J.’s first,” said Frank. “It’s a highly competitive, juried show; the artists send in images and have to be chosen.”
For Floyd, being part of the event is “a big deal.”
“It’s such an honor; they usually go through thousands of applicants,” she said. “And it’s even better since Ricky and I will be next to each other.”
The couple also will share an assistant: their Chinese-born daughter Lily whom they adopted on Feb. 14, 2001 — the date the family refers to as Valentine’s and “gotcha” day.
Lily is now a fifth-grader at Shallowford Falls Elementary.
“She is definitely a craft show baby,” said Floyd with a laugh. “She’s been dragged around the country to all these shows and has developed an amazing eye. She can look at a piece and know what the artist is trying to do, what works and what doesn’t — and she can verbalize it.”
So far, Lily exhibits no interest in becoming an artist like her parents.
“She’s wanted to be a vet since she could talk,” said Floyd. “She’s obsessed about learning about and taking care of animals. She’s even trained her three parakeets; her favorite will crawl up her shirt, go under her sleeve and stick his head out, or play dead.”
But Lily is a terrific show assistant, Floyd added.
“She sees how hard her dad has to work and what being an artist involves,” she said. “She’s also had to learn to deal with the public, so her people skills are really good — even though she says she can’t stand going to art shows anymore!”
Who has inspired you?
Every other Wednesday, H.M. Cauley brings you positive stories from our community. To suggest a story idea, e-mail hm_cauley@yahoo.com.
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