How Viewers Perceived My Country Garden Retreat Installation

As an artist, when I create a new piece, I am not only considering the piece I want to make, but also the feeling, thought or emotion I want the viewer to experience and take away from my art. I like creating fun art that engages viewers with my art, hoping it makes them feel joy.

One of the problematic issues as an artist, like many of us who work alone in a studio, is you can only imagine how your audience will receive your art and hope it is in the way you planned. But, unless you are at a gallery watching or talking with guests, you can never really be certain how the art was perceived.

With my “Charming Victorian Country Garden Retreat” exhibition, I hoped people viewing the art would take away feelings of contentment and peace. The porch scene would be a place where they could want to come and have a cup of tea — a place to relax and enjoy themselves. And, of course, as they look at my art, I was really hoping they would begin to notice all the details I added such as the family pets, birds, butterflies, ants, bumble bees, and the not-so-obvious items such as a dragon fly, caterpillars, and pinwheels. I wanted to help capture this moment in time for viewers, long enough to realize the beauty in these everyday experiences we often walk right past.

I also was curious what people’s favorite part was of my country garden paper sculpture installation. I have my favorite things to create, and even one or two things that I would prefer to not make again. But what about those who saw it in person?

This installation was such a large project — about 1.5 years’ worth of work — and I was curious how my plans compared with people’s real experiences of the work. I decided to send out a mini survey to some of the people who viewed my art installation in person. I kept asked two questions:

1. What was your favorite part of my paper sculpture installation?

2. How did it make you feel when you viewed my art?

Here were the results from my very unscientific survey:

Perhaps unsurprisingly, people had many different answers for their favorite part that spanned the entire installation. The animals, including the turtle, owl, corgi and dogs, cats, all the butterflies and moth, and the character of the ants. One said they liked all the animals, and the “sense of playfulness.”

For others, it was the setting that really stood out, including the hand-woven wicker paper sculpture table and chair, grapevine wreath, flowers in the vase, the silhouette of the couple dancing, and the teacup. The wisteria, peonies and all the flowers also got votes, along with the hidden objects throughout the installation.

When I asked how the art made people feel, I also got such a wonderful variety of responses as to what spoke to people. Many expressed the detail and finding hidden treasures among the work made them smile — there was a joy in finding something new every time you look at it. There was also surprise that the entire installation was made out of paper!

Some found a sense of love and romance because of the couple dancing in the window in the background of a nostalgic porch scene. Others felt content and peace, relaxation in a peaceful garden, nostalgia for simpler times and a reminder of being young.

“It's such a creative representation of how beautiful things can be we walk past every day and seeing it in art form where there are new things to discover every time you look is a reminder to do this out in the real world too,” said one visitor.

I am happy to see the fur critters were so popular, since they are something that I really enjoy making. It was a pleasant surprise to see a nice variety of items people liked, especially because I included such a spectrum of smaller pieces for the installation, from the trees to the smallest ant. I was also glad that several people mentioned it reminded them of yesteryear — feeling nostalgic, relaxed on the porch, and of course, the fun of looking for all the objects.

Opening Day for ‘Charming Victorian Country Garden Retreat’

This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, Sept. 8, 2020! Today is opening day of the show “Paper Works: The Art of Paper” at the Mansion at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland.

My 18 foot long by 12 feet high exhibit titled, “Charming Victorian Country Garden Retreat,” is featured in this amazing show at Strathmore. I am so honored and thrilled to be a part of the show.

After working on this piece for 1.5 years, it is so exciting to finally see my installation all come together into one large-scale exhibition. I built the paper sculpture art in small sections, so to see it all pulled together as I had conceptualized it after so long is really something.

The installation is made out of paper, from the painted brick walls, to the white paper siding, wicker table and chair and of course all the furry critters that have become a part of this retreat. I hope my art helps to remind us the importance of enjoying the simple moments and joy we can find when we retreat into these moments.

In this exhibit it may be the chirping of the baby robin or watching the playfulness of the kitten or corgi playing on the porch. And if you look closely within this setting, in this habitat, you will find ladybugs, butterflies, cocoons and a praying mantis to name just a few — all the things that enrich the habitats we find ourselves in every day.

I can’t wait to show you my work. You can get a sense in the photos below. Plus, over the next several weeks, I will be blogging about the process and include some behind-the-scenes videos and photos. Please keep checking back for more.  

I would also love for you to see “Charming Victorian Country Garden Retreat” in person. For information about visiting, check out the show’s official page on the Strathmore website here. And don’t forget to join us for a free virtual art reception on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. ET.

Melinda Fabian Set as Featured Artist at Strathmore Paper Works Show

BIG news! I will be the featured artist at the upcoming Paper Works art show at The Mansion at Strathmore this fall, where I will exhibit an 18-foot paper sculpture titled, “Charming Victorian Country Garden Retreat.” 

Created out of paper and paint, it is my hope this full-scale paper sculpture experience will remind us of the importance of creating real spaces in our lives that can be our safe haven — places that are meaningful, relaxing, rejuvenating and enjoyable. Here are just some of the surprises you can expect to find in this “Charming Victorian Country Garden Retreat”:

Visitors are welcomed into the serene retreat with beautiful garden, framed by exquisite, life-like hanging purple wisteria flowers while squirrels scamper over the vines. Tulips, peonies and iris flowers line the front porch of a Victorian country home, providing a retreat for birds and butterflies too. The wicker table and chair on the front porch overlook the rose gardens while the family dog and kittens play nearby.

You can also count the ladybugs and look for hidden creatures, such as a chipmunk, praying mantis, bees and a leaf hopper. This paper habitat can just about come alive with just a little imagination. Close your eyes for a moment and you can almost smell the flowers, hear the birds chirping and feel the sunshine on your face. By the time you’ve had a good look around, I hope you’ll realize just how life-like paper sculpture can be.

I've already been hard at work for months bringing to life a realistic paper sculpture like you've never seen before, and I can't wait for you to see the completed piece. In the meantime, you can follow the journey on my blog and social media accounts and subscribe to my newsletter to be the first to get new updates!

The show will run at The Mansion at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, from Sept. 8 through Oct. 30, 2020. More details to be announced soon!

Updated Aug. 5, 2020.