Woman’s art helps people who have lost loved ones

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    ASHEVILLE, NC (WLOS ) — An Asheville Artist is using something old to make something new — and giving hope and joy at the same time.

Frame by frame, Debra Vineyard’s creativity comes to life.

“I’ve always been drawn to color and how someone could pick up a pencil and doodle something,” Vineyard said.

But there’s no pencil, no paint in her art, just fragments of fabric cut from someone’s life.

Her art was inspired by the death of two loved ones.

“I went in to take care of their townhome, car, etc. and I came across their ties,” Vineyard said. “So, I took the ties home, and I actually decided I was going to use it as my paint.”

From there it grew. Her art turned into a form of therapy for others who wanted a way to remember a father, a husband, a son.

“Typically, the person is deceased. Their family member will bring me their ties, along with maybe their favorite shirt or hat or something that they loved or wore all the time or whatever, and then they’ll tell me about their loved one,” Vineyard said.

That emotional meeting leaves Vineyard with a collection of ideas she narrows down for one piece of art.

And the reactions to the finished works are unpredictable, she said, describing the response of one recipient who lost her husband right before their 50th wedding anniversary.

“And she goes, ‘How did you know about the daffodils?’ And I was like, ‘Well, the picture just needed something yellow,” Vineyard said. “She goes, ‘He used to buy me daffodils all the time, and I just brought myself daffodils and have them on the counter.’ And I smelled them, right, and we just started balling in this French cafe.”

Vineyard knew she was supposed to be an artist in high school, but her parochial school didn’t allow her to explore her artistic side. Instead, she focused on business. Vineyard still hasn’t taken an art class.

“Well, I did a drawing course with somebody a long time ago in my garden, but I wouldn’t count that as legit,” she said. “I think we bartered for a beer or something like that.”

But traditional paint never quite captured the color Vineyard was looking for anyway. Now, she has the best of both worlds — the right colors to make her happy and the smiles from customers showing their gratitude.

“I was taught that every single person has a talent, if not more than one. Your job in life is to find your talent and use it, because that is what is going to fulfill you in life,” Vineyard said.

Turns out, it would fulfill others as well …

“Even if it doesn’t go anywhere, I really feel like I did what I was supposed to do,” she said.

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