PORT TOWNSEND — Mary Delany lived a life of reinvention.
At age 71, she dreamed up her own mixed media collage art — a form that would inspire generations of artists and viewers.
That makes Delany ideal for a Women in Art History class and discussion at Northwind Art School, Northwind spokesperson Diane Urbani said.
The class, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, is open for signups at Northwindart.org, and teaching artist Lorelei Amato encourages participants to register before it fills up.
The evening with Delany has been added to the Women in Art History series happening this winter and spring at Northwind Art School at Fort Worden State Park.
Delany, who lived from 1700 to 1788, changed her life course many times. When she was 17, she was pressed into marrying a man decades older. When he died seven years later, Delany found she had not been written into his will. Still young and “marriageable,” she opted to turn away all suitors and insist on creating for herself a life she could love.
She then spent her days among the artists and scientists of British society, taking inspiration for her shellwork, fashion, embroidery and papercutting, all “acceptable” pursuits for women in that time.
One day, when Delany was in her 70s, she noticed how well a small scrap of red paper matched a red geranium on her desk, and she began to cut. So began a series of nearly 1,000 botanical illustrations that she called “paper mosaicks,” all rendered entirely in paper.
These works are still considered some of the most accurate, vivid botanical representations of the era.
“We will try our hand at ‘paper mosaicks’ ourselves, observing flowers and thinking about what it means to reinvent ourselves as life evolves,” Amato writes in her class invitation.
Two more Women in Art History classes are set: one focusing on Frida Kahlo on Feb. 6 and an exploration of Yayoi Kusama on April 3. Both will be guided by Amato.
Details about those and many other art classes for teens and adults can be found at Northwindart.org.
