other parts , like mop heads . You ’ ll see on the Willy Nelson , I pulled out some q tips for the paddings on the end of the guitar . I embellish when I can ’ t figure something out , I do embellish a little bit with the hot glue , like , you ’ ll see the cowboy boots .”
According to Barfield , there is beauty in things that have been touched a lot . Even with furniture , she said , she prefers pieces that have a history to them as opposed to unblemished furnishings .
“ I think there ’ s beauty when something ’ s been touched a lot ,” she said . “ It ’ s been poured over , it has a history , and it ’ s not just been pulled from IKEA and thrown into a loft because it looks clean and new . Where ’ s the fun in that ? There ’ s a little bit of fun in the fact that it ’ s dirty , it gives it some kind of soul .”
Barfield said that working on her sculptures is almost like a puzzle piece . She said she is fully aware that her pieces will never be exact duplicates of their inspirations , but her mission is to capture that character of her muse , with her speaking about getting the right vibe for her sculpture of Willy Nelson .
“ Some people really value the hyper-realistic oil paintings , but to me , I can do some of those , but it makes me feel like I ’ m a machine a little bit ,” she said . “ With this , it ’ s like working a puzzle backward and I love that because I know I want to make Willy Nelson , I know I want his vibe to be recognized as Willy Nelson , but there ’ s no way he ’ s going to physically be an exact replica of Willy Nelson .”
She continued on to say that her sculptures have taken her to art fairs and shows throughout Florida , from Tallahassee to Miami , but said that they are difficult to transport . Barfield said the difficulty in transportation keeps them down in the south , almost poetically so .
Barfield said her inspiration for the sculptures comes from her love of pop culture , claiming she
40 Summer 2023 | Thomasville Scene