T
his phenomenon
shows up consistently in
Annie’s leather crafting,
from the framed sculpture
of flowers emerging three-
dimensionally in a Día de los
Muertos skull, to the mask
of an owl face transforming
laterally into leaves. Annie
not only welcomes the
unexpected, she is the
unexpected. In the trade
shows in which she often
participates (as contestant,
judge, and/or teacher), she
meets many wide-brimmed
compeers who say things
like, “Well, I wouldn’t have
done that, but that’s pretty
good!”
She wasn’t always confident,
though. We chat about
childhood creativity, which
often starts as “Daddy, draw
me a picture — draw me
another — another!” until
Daddy is tapped and a child
must be resourceful. She
had a good eye, incredible
focus, and a stubborn will
to get things “right” — her
parents would at times have
to tear her away from her
sketchbook. She reminisces
how patronizing grownups
sounded when they gushed
over her drawings, because
in her child mind she knew
the sketch didn’t match the
subject. Many children (and
adults) give up at this point,
confusing a lack of muscle
control with an absence of
talent. Fortunately for us, Ms
Libertini did not.
July | August 2019
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