Forever an Artist: Shelley
- Shelley
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
Cleveland Days in the 70's
Every visit with Shelley has always revealed her involvement in some form of art. During my first visit in Cleveland, she introduced me to the idea of adding chunked Italian tomatoes and Cara Mia marinated artichokes to salads, along with Baked Alaska for dessert. We enjoyed chicken salad from Tassi's, olives and feta from the West Side Market, and onion boards from the Italian bakery, all while listening to Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert. Her kitchen was a haven for exquisite dining, creative meals, and a hub for ideas and dreams.
Besides Shelley's kitchen, her living room's center decoration was her large loom. Her woven pillows became integral to our home decor. These pillows, modern in design, were like woven sculptures. As an Art Therapy student, she encouraged us to engage in exercises that explored our creativity. While I found I was drawing-impaired, my husband found he had talent during one of her sessions. We also delighted in her air tunnels.
After one of our Sunday volleyball sessions, we had the chance to play in one of Shelley's tunnels. She built them using 100 ft. long by 14 ft. wide polyethylene 4 mil plastic, tape, and a fan. We enjoyed exploring it and even invited a stranger to join us in singing "Route 66." Her air tunnels also appeared at other events.
Before my recent visit, the last time we met was in 1986 when we were both relatively new moms. Did I mention that Shelley also created puzzles?
Visiting Shelley in 2026
Forty years later I visited Shelley's lovely home in Maryland. It was unpretentious and had New York energy. She and her husband greeted us with jazz playing, and we were immediately invited to enjoy her delicious lentil soup, freshly baked bread, the best feta I’ve ever tasted, her chicken salad, a wine that needed to breathe, and French pastries bought just for us by her husband. Still Shelley. It was the next day that I discovered more of her artistry.
Books decorate her rooms, and these days, I hear Shelley read poems she loves. She also writes:
Shelley now has a studio, but rather than a loom, it houses her art projects, and she also hosts other artists. It is here where she begins to unfold her latest work.
Slideshow of Shelley's photos:
"My backyard visitors' shot with a Sony RX10MV." Shelley
Altered books
"These are examples of 'altered books', an art form I'm enjoying playing with. The 'bird' are a collage made from a poto I took on a beach in Australia." Shelley
Examples of fused glass
Still Shelley
Our lives have changed. We are now grandmothers, yet we still have memories of good times past, perspectives to explore, music to enjoy, art and design to discover, and of course, our laughter. Shelley, always the intellectual and versatile artist expressing creative brilliance, continues to hold a special place in my heart. I am still a fan, but above all, a devoted friend who hopes to keep our relationship vibrant.
L-Shelley and I in the 70's. R- Shelley and I 2026
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