“The ideas for hats presented themselves to me out of the ethers and I was often surprised by the elaborate outcome of the meaning behind each creation. Most of the hats came into being fairly easily, some took days, a few stayed as an idea for weeks before finally being birthed, often in a flurry of excitement. Others were made well in advance before being presented, waiting for the right moment to be shown and still others just popped up and were made in a jiffy. The title/name of the hat might be in the first idea or it might come later when the hat is completed.

They all began from a sudden thought, a kind of light bulb illumination and grew until fruition. I saw pictures in my head and tried to follow through immediately gathering the required accoutrements. I always got incredibly excited in the early stages of putting a new hat together, going so quickly I frequently messed up what I was doing. I would knock off pieces I had just attached or lose a vital addition that had taken so long to find by unconsciously putting it somewhere whilst looking for something else.

The vital addition could be anywhere in a multitude of messes strewn over the floor or on a number of work surfaces that seemed to increase as the hat frenzy took over. My studio became like an obstacle course requiring skilled stepping round and hopping over. I confess I spent a lot of time hunting for mislaid items during the hat attack, although most times synchronicity was at play and the missing piece turned up along with some other relevant addition. A lot went missing, scissors disappeared as did string and elastic, but other things which I had forgotten about showed up at exactly the right time, so the energy was always very motivating.

I loved making the hats and I was in my element doing what I loved doing. Being creative is a vital component of life and under these circumstances I positively thrived. The Heyoka archetype in me took over and by allowing myself to be both silly and thought provoking, I overcame boundaries that have stood in my path for years. The relief of finally putting to use some of the vast stash of materials I have been collecting for years was a blessing.”

Materials: Decorative birds nest , natural found objects

I am using creativity and humor to process my inner life. There is a lot of fear on the air waves. I purchased this particularly good mask, early in February amidst the laughter of my friends and family. I saw what was coming. Thankfully, I have not yet used it as I haven’t been out of the house for over 3 weeks. I borrowed the hat from Skelly, our live-in skeleton that resides in the front room…(the man I live with studied medicine) so in a sense both the mask and the hat have a connection.

Materials: Cut out plastic question marks, hat made from old food carton and paper plate, 5g tower made from found object and paper

So many differing narratives about 5G. How do we find out? As I paint, I ponder. My mind runs over all the books I have read, the films I have seen, the podcasts I have listened to, the groups I have been involved with, the things I have been told, the info I have been fed. I try to look at our current situation with non-attachment and see countless possibilities of what this is all about.

Materials: Old basket, tinsel , battery powered lights, plastic unicorn

This was a birthday gift I received, and I thought it fitting to show at this stage of the pandemic. Life is not all doom and gloom. We are not all going to die. Don’t give up hope. Create change. Untold possibilities await us.

Materials: Found bird cage, transistor radio

Nothing like feeling trapped with no place to run to. Corona was everywhere there really was no way to escape it. It was reported on the hour between the hour all day long blasting out from the airways all over the world.

Materials: Hat made from food carton decorated with birds, pipe cleaners, wooden hearts, headphones

My Thinking Caps are small ‘captures’ of how I relate to our current adversity and they arise out of a need to process the huge amount of information coming my way. Its easy to be confused and led off track. Sometimes I need to refocus. Realizing that everything that happens in my head is a byproduct of me.

Materials: Bamboo steamer, old coffee sack, garlic stalks

Eating garlic was one of her favourite pastimes. She loved it.

Materials: Old bread box, found round dots and found dice

This hat has a strong connection with hat 6. Its all between my ears. Where does my dice roll each day and who is throwing it?

Materials: Ties

Transforming all that male neck-knotting stuff in to something different. This was made some years ago and is part of a whole costume made out of ties.

Materials: Plastic food container, natural found items

This is where I am now, beginning to step over the line. The rebel in me is saying nothing to lose, don’t be scared, tomorrow maybe dead… I don’t know where this is all leading but something has changed in me.

I have been a hat maker since the early 90’s and used to travel to festivals in England, France, Spain, and the Netherlands selling them in my old green Renault Traffic van called Tommy, (named by Rosie). Rosie who was alive and laughing at that time was often with me and we had such fun, we did this together for about 4 years until that little love changed dimensions and left planet earth. I shared Rosie with her father who moved further and further away from where I lived, finally moving to Southern Spain, which was how the hat trade started up.

In the 80’s juggling and fire spinning became quite popular and a whole new genre of renegade circus performing acts sprang up everywhere. (Anyone remember the French circus group called Arkaos?)  To accommodate this interest in juggling, trapeze, fire, clowning and other circus related skills, (no animals folks), Juggling and circus conventions began to become popular, especially in France. They were wonderful meeting places where not only could I improve my own juggling and clowning abilities, but they presented a great hat selling opportunity. It made all those long-haul journeys bearable and provide some sort of income that covered the costs of fuel. So, I made funny hats, individual crazy hats of all sizes, a hat for every head. I had a hat for everyone, and they went down well. I got to be known as The Hat Lady. Hats have been part of my life.

And here I am again. Making hats. This time making hats for me, using hats as a both a creative expression and a voice. What is arising as I make these artistic pieces is something I had not predicted; I am coming face to face with myself. This is both physically – I look in the mirror a lot, and mentally – I reflect on what I see.  For some years I really worked on clowning, attending courses here there and everywhere with some of the best mime and clown artist ever, and one thing all clowns must learn is that working with the clown demands that you look inside, it demands that you use your face as an expression. It turns out I have an elastic type of face and I can make the strangest expressions. I must admit over the years I have spent hours in front of mirrors making faces, faces that few people see, faces that NOBODY has seen. Some of them are quite scary and a lot are definitely not beautiful. This is where I am now, beginning to step over the line. The rebel in me is saying nothing to lose, don’t be scared, tomorrow maybe dead… I don’t know where this is all leading but something has changed in me.

Materials: Eye mask, headphones, panty liner, neck collar, small hat made from plastic packing

Earlier today I posted a nice little hat called The Garden Party. I realized I was avoiding my feelings. In making these hats I meet myself and it brings up lots of stuff. Deep stuff. Also overdrive from news I have a deep sense of Numbness in me today.

Materials: Found feather hat, plastic yogurt pots decorated with Easter chicks and plastic flowers, all found stuff (thrift stores etc), clip on bird

Everyone wherever you are, may your day be fluffy and light. Lightening the load, lifting the spirit in hard times.

Materials: Recycled door wreaths, decorative birds nest, the bird on top is a hat in itself  made from an old butter tub covered with hessian and feathers, found birds skull, net found in rubbish

It would appear that I am ego obsessed, or at least that is one of the traps I fall into to stop myself from being successful. Oh, you are just showing off. Maybe I was called a show-off at school? Maybe I was? Maybe I just wasn’t seen for who I was.

Materials: Old hat cut up covered with collected  sheep’s wool, made material ears, found wooly cardigan

Anything for a quiet life…got everyone responding with baaas and sheep remarks, great interaction small anecdotes.

Materials: Hat from China, Brio train track, battery operated train

I sent it to my grandson who is 14 (it was his train from long ago) and he said, “I don’t remember the train but it’s a scary video.” I replied, “We are living in scary times.” Brain, train, drain, sane, were words that came up during its creation. The hat incidentally was bought from China over 20 years ago.

Materials: Old ‘Oliver’ hat covered with electrical wire and plugs

I woke up feeling powerless. So much blah blah blah going on coming from everywhere and nothing I could do about anything except stay at home wash my hands and wear a mask.

Note: Shortly after posting this hat, I received an email from Renas, a Norwegian electrical company using recyclable energy, who wanted to buy the right to use the photograph in their advertising campaign. This was a wonderful surprise and I gladly accepted.

Materials: Old bowler hat, play moustache, 3D glasses

The day I made this portrait I was in need of a new perspective on life. My room was a mess and by rights, were it not for covid I should have been on an art course with the brilliant Michal Shimoni, something I had so been looking forward too.  Whilst tidying up my studio I found the magic specs, hidden away under a pile of sewing stuff. Putting them on the 3D glasses immediately gave me a quick fix. Getting dressed up and putting on a false moustache clinched the deal… and hey presto everything changed. No point sitting around complaining.

Materials: Hand crocheted starched decorative basket decorated with collected plastic fruit

When in doubt eat fruit. Wishing you all a fruitful day.

Materials: Plain safari hat, bamboo from garden, binoculars

Mental Traps. There are many on the path, some well-hidden and some right in front of our very eyes. Fear of being successful, fear of sounding boastful, fear of perhaps underneath all the high of loved hats there lurks that feeling that somehow you are cheating. Fear that this expansion is not possible for you…

Materials: Old 60s straw hat, cocktail umbrellas,
made pipe cleaner people

It would have been wonderful to have taken a real break from the whole kerfuffle of death and despair but alas, this was not possible. Holidays were definitely out the question, so it was down to having a holiday inside my head. With a hat on top, of course.

Materials: Cardboard, ribbon, pillow stuffing

Often, I had big deliberations about whether to post a photo or not. Could I get away with it? Not another one with a scraggy neck, and look at those wrinkles. As you see some of the photographs are not what one would call flattering, not in the least, but then that’s part of the statement. What am I doing with these hats? What am I doing with me? Who am I?

Materials: Plain hat with magnifying glass

By the time I was 14 I had read every Agatha Christie book available. There was something about being a detective that grabbed me, following threads, always looking at double bluffs and observing the least suspected.

Materials: Old hanging basket which I was going to throw away but when I saw it I thought of Pinocchio’s hat, painted red. Collar made from cardboard box, large black button covered badge, nose egg box

As I sifted through my garden accoutrements I came upon an old battered hanging basket and was about to throw it away, but as I held it in my hand the shape of it reminded me for some reason of Pinocchio’s hat. And with that thought the first seed was sown. Pinocchio, lies, nose, hmmmm. There was a hat in this old basket, an idea had come in.

Materials: Used acupuncture needles, old wool hat, pillow stuffing, flute cleaning tool

After 24 days of the Hat Attack and all the associated symptoms: an over-inflated ego, exhibitionist syndrome, exposing myself to others, the worry of how long the attack would last, I got me a bit of needle therapy. You can see I really needed this.

Materials: Flower pot, assorted used flowers, jelly slug, snail shells found in France, plastic insects,
two decorative small seed containers made by a Kent artist

Undercover agent Dizzy Lizzy in disguise. Gardeners Nightmare is a code name for an international operation. Don’t be deceived by those innocent looking flower pots…or those flowers. Nothing is as it appears. Finally that slug Hal gave me for Christmas some years ago has found a use!

Materials: Cardboard box, brick wallpaper, Lego from Grandkids old toys

We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey, teachers, leave them kids alone
All in all it’s just another brick in the wall
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall

Materials: Found pink plastic used to bale hay

‘I’ve got a present for you’, he said excitedly, handing me a large wadge of grubby pink plastic used for wrapping hay bales in. ‘I found it by the side of the road, I am sure you can make something with it.’

Materials: Old plastic basket, insects from grandchildren’s toys, fly swat, plastic flowers

Nothing could hold her back, her resilience was strong. With the help of her own imagination she dressed herself up and skipped off to the Ugly Bug Ball.

Materials: Hat base is the top of an old lantern, purchased spinners, fancy dress from my dress up box… probably had it for 18 years

They are everywhere spinning their stories to make us believe.

Materials: Found pinecone candle holder, lid of small basket, iron on wings

Finally after a lot of focused effort her pineal gland burst into flames. She was one step further into understanding the human potential and the infinite possibilities of the mind.

Materials: Coconut fiber hat, ribbon, wire, pixie ears, fake ivy

There was no crock of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Materials: Ping pong set

As my life moved on, it became more and more apparent I was part of a game, all I could do was play.

Materials: White shirt and old maid cap

A nice cup of tea, always good to lift the spirits, and don’t we just need that today. Our spirits lifted. I am all up for spirit lifting in whatever way we can bring that about. A funny face, a sweet intent, being silly, exposing our vulnerabilities, kindness.

Materials: Old glass eyes for teddy bears (lots of them) inside of cycle helmet, goggles

At school we studied in depth George Orwell’s 1984 . He was a popular talking point in that era of the early 60’s. We had many debates and discussion about him and his work. Didn’t really fully understand it then, but of course such ideas became clearer over time.

Materials: Old hat with pipe cleaners and hearts, Sushi soy sauce plastic fish, collected from 20 years ago

Years of saving the little soy sauce fishes one used to get with sushi has finally paid off – their day has come. If I was not so busy with the garden, I would have laboriously filled all the fishes with different coloured water, but necklace and earrings were enough. I mean I don’t want to get too obsessive with this hat malarkey. It could get dangerous.

Materials: Old lamp shade recovered by me, battery operated lights

I must not let the hats and all the praising go to my head. I remind myself daily amidst all internal conflicts that it is my duty to shine. Thank you for shining with me. This could also be called gratitude.

Materials: Old hat with cats found in charity shop

I’ll be darned if it ain’t Mizz Lizzie down from the ranch. What’s she doin’ back in town? Oh I had fun with Mizz Lizzie, she created no end of cowgirl fun for me. I had numerous Mizz Lizzie types from the wild west but this was the one that stood out.

Materials: Various nut shells from around the world

Here to serve and save nuts world wide.

Materials: Old plastic fern, found objects

That Fern just begged me to put it on my head. How could I refuse?

Materials: Collected bark from different trees, fungi, lichen, metal plant container for base

40 days of hat making has got me thinking! It has to be said that I am a rebel. Probably my difficult upbringing encouraged my rebellious behaviour or maybe I needed that dysfunctional upbringing to allow it to emerge, whatever the case there is a strong streak of rebel in me.

“The heyókȟa symbolizes and portrays many aspects of the sacred beings, the Wakíŋyaŋ. His satire presents important questions by fooling around. They ask difficult questions, and say things others are too afraid to say. Their behavior poses questions as do Zen koans. By reading between the lines, the audience is able to think about things not usually thought about, or to look at things in a different way.

Principally, the heyókȟa functions both as a mirror and a teacher, using extreme behaviors to mirror others, and forcing them to examine their own doubts, fears, hatreds, and weaknesses. Heyókȟa have the power to heal emotional pain; such power comes from the experience of shame—they sing of shameful events in their lives, beg for food, and live as clowns. They provoke laughter in distressing situations of despair, and provoke fear and chaos when people feel complacent and overly secure, to keep them from taking themselves too seriously or believing they are more powerful than they are.^[3]

In addition, sacred clowns serve an important role in shaping tribal codes. Unbound by societal constraints, heyókȟa are able to violate cultural taboos freely and thus critique established customs.^[4] Paradoxically, however, by violating these norms and taboos, they help to define the accepted boundaries, rules, and societal guidelines for ethical and moral behavior. They are the only ones who can ask “Why?” about sensitive topics; they use satire to question the specialists and carriers of sacred knowledge or those in positions of power and authority.”

~ Wikipedia contributors. “Heyoka.” Wikipedia, 10 Dec. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heyoka.

Materials: Polystyrene chicken, wooden candle holder from Sweden decorated by me, old lace mats and tablecloth

My chicken kept winking at me when I passed it. Then I remembered the chicken candleholder. Making the chicken stay on my head required good engineering. But why was a chicken on my head, and what’s with the candle? Then the thought about chickens in captivity came. As a member of #compassioninworldfarming I am aware of the suffering farm animals undergo worldwide, and decided to use this hat in a funny way to bring this to your attention . Singing for the chickens in captivity is really singing for all captive animals everywhere. They need our love and kind thoughts.

Materials: Collected bark from different trees, fungi, lichen, metal plant container for base, basket for base, pinecones, nuts and other natural found objects, wooden mushrooms, pinecone coasters from charity shop

When the tv guys came to interview me they asked if I could make a hat. Panic. I quickly grabbed some stuff together and began to create one, not really knowing what I was doing. My theme was pinecones as I had a lot of them and there just so happened to be an old basket laying around waiting to be used when an idea came to mind. Being creative is a blessing but it also means ones studio is often in a state of chaotic mess.

Materials: Feathers, small hat made from old plastic butter container

King Lear. (Shakespeare) ‘I am old and foolish and understand it not. The art of our necessities is strange that can make vile things precious’. Old King Lear rode by for a visit, puffed up his feathers and left.

Materials: Feathers, some cut up leather

Honoring the birds is a hat drawing your attention through personal experience to the amount of birds killed on the main route from the Port of Dover to distribution centers all over the UK. All the feathers and skins you see here I have collected, sometimes at great risk, from the birds killed on this motorway. In doing what I do with them, their lives are honored, and their beauty is restored. It is a true art of transformation.

Materials: Salvaged Rubber gloves (exact amount for hat), old Chinese coolie hat, fan , kimono, small virus decoration

The 20-year-old rubber gloves were being thrown out, it felt like sacrilege. I grabbed them out the bin and at the same time I saw the old Chinese coolie hat hanging in the winter garden. I saw the hats design and accompanying costume in an instant and the name fell into my head. A soft Touch. When this happens, I get very excited, and I know I am on to a good one. I particularly like this hat and all the nuances that go with its title and visual effect.

Materials: Hat, playing cards, false money from a rip off in Poland, mask from Venice

Dr. Dread has quite openly, in full sight, been up to his tricks wheeling and dealing but it was easier to turn a blind eye to his nefarious ways.

Materials: Old basket, cardboard collar and nose, artist drawing hand

Look whose been lying again, or whose pulling my strings. The lies seemed to be increasing, politicians were being called out for dishonesty, misinformation was reaching new heights and the question kept rising ‘who exactly was pulling the strings’.

Materials: Recycled plastic bits and pieces

The problem with Plastic, particularly single use plastic disturbs me. Throwing it away doesn’t feel right, even though its supposedly recycled. I have periods where I obsessively keep my plastic food containers, saving them for a time when I can use them creatively, and thus ease my plastic consumerism guilt.

Materials: Chicken wire, tissue paper, figurines

As soon as I heard the phrase ‘second wave’ being used frequently over the media I began to plan a hat with this name. The Second Wave. Some of these hats take time coming from the initial idea to fruition and this was one of them, but it was always in the back of my mind, and now it is on my head! What was the second wave?

Materials: Hands of Buzz Lightyear, cut roses, found objects, human figurine, string of wooden hearts,
mustard seeds sprouted, moss, angel charms, butterfly ornament

Out of all 50 hats this is the only one I was asked to make and given a title for. This led to a longer incubation period. It seemed fitting that this one should mark a completion of my journey through the pandemic. It was a tricky one to engineer, I knew what I wanted but putting it together proved to be a marathon of a job. I also wanted it to be living so I had to wait for the mustard seed to grow.

It is a hat full of symbols. The first part of the hat that came into being was the hands of Buzz Lightyear (of ‘to infinity and beyond fame’), breaking the chains that bind humanity. Throughout the whole of hat- making the roses are the only thing I have purchased new, I wanted something living and symbolically alive. The whole idea is about cosmic consciousness and reaching out to the spiritual world, being watched over by higher light beings represented by the nine angels attached to the brim of the hat. Love will pave the way for our freedom to shine forth.

I have always been passionately creative about recycling and transformation, but my artist career really took off after the death of my daughter in 1996, when my whole life changed, and art became my salvation. Theatre and the art of sacred clowning have also found their way into my life and I particularly identify with the North American Plains Indian Heyokha archetype. On the tail of rising feminism and influenced by my American sisters, I trained in 1982 as an Assertive Facilitator and worked in the fields of effective communication, anger management and sexuality for women. Women and self-development have since that time been a large part of my life,

At 56 I went to art college for 2 years and had the time of my life. After moving to Norway in 2011, my art took on a whole new perspective with several successful exhibitions. Online art courses led me to connect with some fantastic and well-known women artists. Michal Shimoni, Nancy Reynar, Flora Aube, who I trained with as an Art of Allowing Facilitator and Shiloh Sophia who initiated me as a Red Thread Guide and brought consciously into my life the great work of Intentional Creativity. Without knowing it, I had been unintentionally working in this way dealing with the death of my daughter and I was so excited to discover that a whole movement devoted to growth and healing through art existed. I love art and I love working with women.

Special thanks to: 

The Intentional Creativity Foundation for funding this exhibit!

Amber Gould, Curatorial Director – Exhibit Site Design, Artist Liaison

Maia Lemann, Co-Curator – Virtual Show Production and Design

Be a part of the Intentional Creativity Museum by becoming a member today! By joining us you will be supporting art shows like this one, gathering with our global community on a regular basis in our virtual circles, viewing incredible art, and practicing your own craft.