Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday July 20 1986 25 ft ? I I If Neiman-lfarcu- s only knew where Hhosedesigner coat were coming from Out of the basement of a Preston Idaho home in a room cluttered with fabric and felt iridescent dyes in quart-siz- e canning jars with antique oak tables and old “collectible’7 bird cages hanging in the window The laundry room is nearby and the roast can be pulled out of the oven in a flash It’s the kind of room just about anyone (who doesn't mind a little clutter) could be comfortable in It’s the kind of room a person could for explore hours trying to sell but I’m still doing lots of designing” she says For Cale the artistic struggle is not fighting for new ideas or solutions to artistic problems The struggle is fighting off all the ideas “I think it (art) would eat you up if you let it" For now she is thinking about doing a few art fairs and marketing her work in a nearby store Cale says she has always thought of herself as an artist “I like designing my own way” she says “I make things my own way" Her own way is practical she says “Sometimes artists get so carried away with being an artist they forget they (the perhaps co- and days articles ntinually find something of them so you could always infinite stream hand-painte- of throw them in the wash These d art That infinite are for real clothing and A work fn the production stage spring of course must be fed with an endless supply of ideas Ideas never seem to be a problem with Mary Cale Proprietress and originator of Special Soft Art Cale is bubbling with ideas of things she meant to do plans to do and is in the middle of doing Forty-on- e year old Cale is a wife and mother first she says and an artist second That may be one of the reasona she gave up a lucrative (125000 a year) business located in her basement That business included calls from Ndman-Marcu- a for hundreds of d cotton coats The Cale’s coats made from bleached muslin are quilted and painted by Cale in her own unique hand-painte- fine-quali- ty style Cale couldn't possibly stop at coats though Some inner fountainhead keeps bubbling up (usually in the predawn hours) with ideas Ideas for and soft stuffed cats pillows pictures sundresses paintings on glass baskets dolls wreaths will it ever end? jackets cards “I never have a hard time getting motivated ’’ Cale says “I have to make myself stop’’ Stop die did for health and other reasons Cale says she is retired from the frenetic pace of being a production artist “I'm retired from pushing and Pam Lindquist models one of Mary Cale s designer coats TEXT: JENNIFER HINES FITCH PHOTOS: JIM JOHNSON of clothing) have to hang on a human body" she says “When I made them I made in- terest In fact it’s just the kind of room from which one might expect to spring an i people” Cale’s prac- tical nature comes out in her art as well No esoteric abstracts for her “Basically I’m like a colorbook person" she says From what does she derive her inspiration? “It’s basically things I like — what I would wear what I would like” What she likes are flowers melons cows pigs chickens geese hearts rainbows The stuff of real life Her art (if it must be labeled and categorized) can be described as “naive” or “innocent” art she says But “my art is not for kids It’s for the child in all of us Big people like my work and little people like my work I am not painting for kids” After working as a successful production artist Cale offers some advice for artists aspiring to success and recognition “I think that’s what every artist wants Don't think that the happiness will be being successful Just be happy with your art” But she admits that it's easier for her to be content having already proven herself For now Cale says she sells enough of her work to make her happy and pay for supplies “I think art should be fun or why do it? “I have fun It’s a privilege I feel very fortunate that people like my work I can do what I want and people will still buy it You can’t ask for anything better than that” |