We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marcy Lally a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Marcy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

At an early age it became apparent that I was a gifted artist. It also was clear to me that I was not so good at other things so it made it easy to choose the creative life. I went to art school and surrounded myself with other talented artists and quickly became challenged by their artistic skills.

After school I lost the drive and intensity to make art on a regular basis, largely because I didn’t have the inspiration brought on by people in a creative environment. I wish that I would have been more intentional on where I worked and took more risk with job opportunities in the creative field. The obstacles that stood in my way was my own insecurities of self doubt and just not allowing myself to be in the right creative circles. If I had a working studio space all those years ago I think things would have opened up for me faster, but alas I am a late bloomer.

Marcy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I call myself a sculptor, because I earned a master’s degree in sculpture and practice creating 3 dimensional art objects. It is what I have immersed myself in for the last 40 years. Early on it was taught to me by my late instructors Dale Eldred and Jim Leedy that anything is possible with sculpture and one does not have to be limited by the confines of a medium or materials to define their art. I like the idea of not being pigeon holed by a standard perceived notion of what art is. Because of that freedom, the style and medium of my art has changed.

My biggest success in art is my unique approach and original imagery. A little over 10 years ago I started using animal skulls to convey imagery about nature and the passage of time. These portraits on nature and the fragility of humanity have continued to be a well of inspiration for me. I suppose it was my destiny. Looking back after I got out of art school, I had worked for years in the floral industry as a floral designer. I wasn’t particularly making a lot of art during that time. I was however processing something deeper in my psyche that laid the ground work for the narrative and inspiration behind my artwork today.

Since ancient times flowers have been used in ceremonies across the world. The flower’s significance is that of life and death and the rebirth of hope. While working in different flower shops it became evident that flowers were part of a visual language about life and its many celebrations and sorrows. It only seemed liked a natural progression for me to incorporate flowers into my own artwork. Hand sculpted ceramic earthen ware flowers have become part of my signature style. One of my favorite pieces to work on would be Majestic Bison skulls adorned with ceramic flowers that tell a story of nurture, nature, strength and sacrifice.

The thing that I am most proud of is that my work is easily recognizable and stands out as being uniquely designed by me. As time goes by I find that it gets harder and harder to be original and have a unique vision. I like to think that my work is rememberable.

The work that I have done leading up to now has been a culmination of my life’s experiences that have lead me down this art path. It’s a wonderful thing that I have been able to find what is joyful, beautiful and meaningful to me and apply it to my sculptures. It has always been important to me to have my own personal narrative to guide me along the way.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Being a creative person is a great thing most of the time. Yet feeling creative and acting on that creativity isn’t always a constant thing. It just doesn’t happen that way. The urge to create has its ups and downs. There is a fine line between forcing yourself to make stuff and nurturing yourself into making stuff. It’s important to show up and to continue to try new things. It’s even important to make mistakes that’s how you learn. I also think it’s important to evolve and to never quit learning even at an old age. Being an artist offers unlimited growth if you’re willing to invest yourself and continue creating with an open mind. It’s not a job you retire from, it always stays with you. I also think that non- creatives can be creative- it’s a state of mind. There’s got to be some kind of art or craft that works best with your unique temperament. If you want it, you will find it.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Buy art, its that simple. Maybe start out small, buy what you like! If you have walls and wish to see them decorated with art, there’s a great place to start. I would try to stay away from what we call Bed Bath and Beyond art and encourage going to art fairs, galleries and art open studio events. Besides that they’re a lot of fun and it’s a great way to get out and get to know artists and enquire about their work. I’ve found that when people purchase art from me, they tend to be a repeat customer. I guess art is kind of like tattoos you can’t just get one, it’s addictive.

Selling my art work never loses its luster. When I sell my artwork it is a direct validation that propels me into wanting to make more. So remember that your act of interest and purchase in art is not just a monetary thing but it’s also a personal gesture of encouragement.

I also think it’s important for artists to have safe low cost studios that are kept affordable. Where there is art there is vibrancy. Any good city has good art, the two go hand in hand. What’s sad is when a neighborhood that has good artists gets pushed out because of over development. It’s important to maintain a nurturing environment for the arts everyone benefits from it.

On that note I hope to see you at one of our open studio in the fall and spring at the
Livestock Exchange Building #506
1600 Genesee Street, Kansas City MO 64102

Contact Info:

• Website: marcylally.com
• Instagram: marcylallyart
• Facebook: Marcy Lally art Facebook

Image Credits
Marcy Lally and James Ferris