By ANN MARIE FRENCH 2/15/2010
WILTON — To the average homebuyer, a small house located near a junkyard on a road with high traffic would seem a turnoff, but for mi Chelle Vara it was ideal. Now 20 years later, she could not be more pleased with her decision.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to pigeonhole Vara’s art. While she might best be known for her sculptures, Vara’s work covers a broader spectrum including drawing, painting and photography.
“Each part artistically feeds a certain part of my personality,” she said. “It is an endless flow.”
At the heart of her art is her sketchbook. It is a constant companion, pulled out during meetings to capture “the perfect eyebrows” or to get down an idea bouncing around in her head. The sketchbook fills up quickly and Vara has amassed a rather large collection — more than 8,000.
Vara has had numerous shows in the local area and greater New England, but her work has also made its way across the country through exhibits, shows and collectors. Her studio and a sculpture park are located at the corner of Ballard Road and Route 50.
“It’s open to the public,” she said. “I’d like more people to stop in and walk around.” Vara welcomes the opportunity for visitors. Always willing to answer questions and share her knowledge, Vara said she finds most people are surprised to find her skills go beyond sculpting to include airbrushing, lettering, and painting.
Vara has used her considerable welding skills to craft gussets used in the construction of a home, build a race car frame, and mount gears on a motorcycle.
“I do everything that doesn’t fit any where else,” she said. “It’s old world, old school art.”
Working with a wide variety of clients from personal collectors to nonprofits to governments, Vara is comfortable in any setting, dressed up or down, and with all types of people, talking about abstract art, the environment, or vehicle engines.
Vara credits her ability to connect with people to her natural curiosity and to the example set by her father early in life.
Growing up as a dyslexic child before the term was even coined, Vara found it hard to communicate and felt completely displaced.
“I had a phenomenal father who told me this is a gift I would grow into,” she said. “He told me over and over I was special.”
Decades later, Vara believes her father was right. Her clinical disability is a crossed optic lobe. This forces incoming information to go into the visual part of her brain first. It is, she says, her greatest birth gift.
In addition to his words, Vara’s father also provided her with an opportunity to completely grow as an individual. The family traveled internationally and placed value on stepping out of their comfort zone and meeting new people.
Her education has been non-traditional, a combination of Montessori Schooling and one-on-one specialists. Vara never felt compelled to pursue a formal education to advance her art. Instead she regularly researches trends and techniques and reaches out to other artists to learn from them.
Vara isn’t shy about sharing her experiences and knowledge when it comes to her art either. In addition to teaching a variety of classes, she has offered her expertise to art students, inviting them to join her for a few days of intensive study.
As nontraditional as Vara is, she does believe in the happily ever after.
“Every single day I get to create something for someone or an expression of myself,” she said. “If there is a fairytale I get to live it every day.”
To learn more about Vara go to www.michellevara.com.
Photo by: Darrel Hoerauf 1540 Rt50 Galaway NY 1274 -for more info please call him 518-813-1123
