Category: A Woman’s Place

Brooke Gaar-Bever: The Five Question Interview

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Brooke Gaar-Bever is the owner, creator of OtherPeoplesFamily! She collects found photos in antique shops, flea markets, etc. and turns them into black and white watercolor images and portraits. Her paintings are inspired by these photos, as well as people and places which interest her. She lives with a disability called hEDS and uses painting as a form of physical therapy.

Brooke lives in Taylor with her husband Nathan, and a pack of sweet senior dogs.

1. Why did you move to Taylor? 

We moved to Taylor in 2013 because of our love of 100+ year old houses. Taylor had quite a few to choose from in our price range, so it was a good fit.  

2. What compels you to spend time creating?

I’ve always had a love of museums and the visual arts. In college I studied art history and restoration and was classically trained as an art conservator. Due to a medical condition I can no longer perform art restoration, but I started to paint 5 years ago as a form of physical therapy. My inspiration comes from found photos, books, and film. My favorite recent series is of Appalachian serpent handlers.

3. Tell me three things you’ve learned in the past five years.

In the past five years, I learned that family doesn’t have to be blood-related, it’s okay to take time for myself, and I don’t always have to be in control, (still working on this one!).

4. What are you currently making, reading, watching, or listening to?

I read one book a week and have a different theme each month. My current topic is injustice within the criminal justice system. This week, I’m reading the autobiography Solitary by Albert Woodfox, who spent 40 years in solitary confinement. 

5. Cake or Pie?

I really like cake, but I LOVE homemade vegan cherry pie!

Shop www.otherpeoplesfamily.etsy.com
Instagram @otherpeoplesfamily

Melissa Ladd: The Five Question Interview

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Melissa Ladd’s work spans many mediums. She has studied painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, and film.

About her work in the following images…

The series these photos came from started in 1995, and were shot over the course of the next 10 years. All were shot only in film, 35mm and Medium format and developed in darkroom. All the photos were expressions of Melissa’s own journey in marriage and tragic death of a dear family member and his wife. The photos helped her work thru grief, change and acceptance. Most of the images don’t have recognizable faces, so the impressions are left to the viewers interpretation. I also made a short film titled “Trainride”

She lives in a lovely studio home on Main Street with her dog Rosie.

1. Why did you move to Elgin? 

I wanted to do a real estate project and learn about contracting a building or remodel job, saw opportunity in Elgin and went for it. And loved the powerful women that I knew here and the example they had set for living and thriving.

2. What compels you to spend time creating?

It is an inner need, that often has a very strong voice that takes over and leads me.  Thru the years that voice has manifested in various ways, photography, print making, screenwriting, film making, even contracting a building remodel was very creative brain process. 

3. Tell me three things you’ve learned in the past five years.

To be comfortable with uncertainty, To trust myself fully whether a decision is Ok or not….And the love of a dog makes me a better person.

4. What are you currently making, reading, watching, or listening to?

Tinkering with a story about my building and Mrs. Jones and the Jane Doe body they found near here years ago.   Reading lots of yoga stuff, in teacher training until March…Baron Baptiste, Sutras, and anatomy.  Watching lots of Netflix and amazon prime movies and series.  Most recently a doc about Gywneth Platrow Goop experimenting with alternative healing modalities 

5. Cake or Pie?

CAKE as long as there is plenty icing, preferable Chocolate!!