Village Gallery Features Florence Johns Vezie
Fiber Artist and Fashion Designer Florence Johns Vezie will be the Featured Artist at the Village Gallery of Local Artists for the month of December 2024. A reception will be held on Friday, December 6th to showcase her work.
Vezie’s fashion line “It’s A Flo’s” is created from her original patterns and include elegant scarves and flowing tops in vibrant prints and light weight fabrics that move with the wearer. She also creates unique boas out of brightly colored strands of yarn that go beyond traditional scarves. Vezie describes her work this way, “I see fashion design as an art: the female form is the canvas and the medium is fabric.”
While Vezie has shown her flowing garments at the gallery for 15 years, her low relief paper sculptures called “By Intentional Design” are an exciting fiber art addition.
Vezie began experimenting with fabric sculptures while teaching art at a youth group at her church. As the kids grew up and left, her interest remained, and Vezie graduated to using archival materials and putting her work on hard canvas.
Vezie’s delightful sculptures appear to jump off the canvas with striking color, texture and imagination. Her use of bright metallic acrylic paints emphasizes light and illuminates the depth of her work. Not limiting her options of materials leaves Vezie open for experimentation. She works mostly with tissue but will use many different types of fiber to create texture and depth from accordion cut packing material to embossed paper towels.
Like any type of low relief sculpture, her technique of molding and shaping is very tactile. All elements that are raised up from the canvas are hardened with acrylic medium, making the artwork durable. After applying the final coat of paint, she goes back with a fine brush to highlight the creases and folds. At the end the piece is sealed by meticulously brushing on gloss varnish. The entire process is very satisfying for Vezie. She explains; “Each piece is a journey from one layer to the next creating a visible, tangible expression of love for life.”
Since relocating to the Verde Valley from Florida in 1989, Vezie has never looked back. In the 35 years she has lived here, she has thrived in spirit and grown as an artist. Vezie affirms, “I love it here and choose to stay in this beautiful Red Rock country.”
The public is invited to meet Florence Johns Vezie and experience her fashion designs and artwork from 5-8pm on Friday, December 6th. Refreshments will be served. The Village Gallery is always accepting applications for membership and is located at 6512 State Route 179 in the Village of Oak Creek. For more information, go to sedonalocalartists.com or phone (928) 284-1416.
