New local textile exhibit opens

Melinda Williams first turned to art for therapeutic value. Now, she is not only doing what she loves but also making a profit.\nThis was evident at her exhibit reception last Friday in the Textillery Gallery of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater where she showed her artwork, which includes drawings and dolls. \nShe has drawn for seven years and has only been making dolls for the past two and a half years. However, she has already been published in Art Doll Quarterly, a nationally published magazine. \nHer most popular dolls are her healing dolls. She uses specific colors and herbal preparations when making them. The chosen herbs are used as stuffing.\nGuests seemed to greatly appreciate the work behind the artwork. Comments like "There's so much detail" were repeated throughout the evening. \nWilliams' dolls are commissioned for graduation and holiday gifts but she has also done several for health related reasons. For example, a woman with tuberculosis purchased a healing doll, and the combination of milk thistle, dandelions, and burdock root even accompanied her to the hospital. \nWilliams has done commissioned work for people as far as Arizona and Florida. Williams said that one healing doll could easily take up to one month for her to finish.\nHowever, when completing a doll she feels like she's on a mission.\nOne such doll is Mr. Tallisman, a healing doll on stool, 2005, selling for $875. She wrote his descriptive story:\n"Fearful of the unknown and cautious of all he meets, Mr. Tallisman is well equipped to face any negative that may cross his path. Highly superstitious, he wears the evil eye and tiny mirrors to ward off evil. He gains protections, luck, and guidance from such things as nature's stones, animal totems, religious symbols, and chains. While he might find comfort in these small tokens, he must be mindful of the power he gives to outside forces, he is filled with herbs that restore his personal energy, provide courage to face the unknown and award him with faith that will see him through any obstacle."\nFor Williams, a normal day can be working all day at the Franklin Cornucopia health food store in nearby Franklin then going home to work until around midnight in her studio.\nShe admits to having a dark side and first began making her dolls based on her interest in Voodoo dolls. Often times her dolls take on their own life and she is surprised at how they turn out.\nShe summed up the importance of her work by saying, "I see my drawings as an invitation to look at life from different perspectives."\nAbout her dolls, she said, "These dolls serve to give encouragement in overcoming any detail of life that may block us from moving forward."\nWilliams's work will be displayed from June 2 to June 29. The Buskirk-Chumley Textillery Gallery is open every day from noon to 5 pm. For more information visit www.buskirkchumley.org.