THE CHALLENGE: I developed Fraglets™ during my quest to find an art form for people who have never experienced the pleasures of art-making – adults who are interested in exploring their creative sides but have reservations about trying - people who often tell me, “I have no talent, I can’t do art, I can’t even draw a straight line.” I wanted to show them there’s much more to art than “straight lines,” and offer something clean, compact, portable, and beautiful, yet changeable enough to let them call their creation their own. I discovered that the ability to “undo” and “redo” was one key to releasing the anxiety of creating something and therefore be able to freely enjoy the experience.
THE INVENTION: Thanks to "necessity being the mother of invention," solutions to the above challenges ended up being pieced together to form a new art form, which I call Fraglets™ Art. In my studio in White River Jct. Vermont, I experimented with the blends and textures of acrylic paints. By mixing my colors right on the “canvas” I obtained the brilliance, intensity and depth of color so characteristic of the Fraglets™ pieces. Magnetic canvases became my new art supports, vibrant acrylic paints the medium, custom cuts the tools, and Fraglets™Art the product.
EPHEMERAL ART AND FIDDLING: I find that whether it’s with colleagues, employees, executives, students, or patients, when using Fraglets™ Art I can get them engaged in fiddling with shape, space, and color in a matter of seconds, they fiddle with pleasure for much longer, and most are quite proud of their creations.
Large canvases installed in public settings go through innumerable variations in a day as passers-by create their own compositions, soon to be changed by the next artist to come along.
REGARDING MY OWN PAINTINGS: Mirroring my own life—still a work in progress—my creations are never quite completed. There are always modifications to make, as reflections of the day’s mood and the aesthetic of the moment. Creative fiddling.
I view this never-ending mutability as the principle virtue of Fraglets™ Ephemeral Art. It can forever change, reflecting the whims and visual musings of the artist at any particular moment.
MY ONE RULE: I have one strict rule for myself when I paint with Fraglets™ on a framed canvas: once a piece is placed and left on for more than a few days, it must remain somewhere on the canvas, even if its color or shape conflicts with pieces that are added later. I can alter it by cutting it into new shapes, or cover a portion of it with another Fraglets™ piece, but I will not remove it.
Why this self-imposed rule? For me, the elements of art are metaphors for living well, and learning how to use them helps us grapple with the many things we cannot remove. Whether it’s a Fraglet, a trauma, a diagnosis, or a dream, it’s probably going to stick, and the best we can do is help it find its place on the canvas. I hope you enjoy this metamorphic, metaphoric, playful art form, and the unlimited exploration of color and space it offers.
Kathy Cadow Parsonnet, Artist
Every Fraglet is hand-painted, cut, and assembled in my studio at the Tip Top Media and Arts Center in White River Jct., Vermont. In addition to making Fraglets™, I provide professional consultation for organizations desiring to implement the arts in health programs, and am constantly creating new ideas for helping people reconnect to their artistic side.
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