About Audrey deChadenedes

                                                                            

Hi! Thanks for visiting.

The way I see it, everything is art - paper, fabric, broken mirrors and dishes, rocks, seeds, feathers, bottles, boxes - everything. I hate throwing things out, and I love to reassemble the items I save into new, beautiful formats. Some of my pieces tell a very particular story and some don't, but they all celebrate the beauty and enduring energy of just about anything you can think of.

I studied Fine Art at Queens College, CUNY; UCLA; and the School of Visual Arts between 1968 and 1974, and I have been making art ever since.  I began working for florists in the early 1980's, and I had my own flower shop in Santa Fe, NM from 1986 until 1993, when I moved to San Francisco. I still do an occasional wedding or special event.

 Though I have never had much interest in promotion, I have been in a number of shows and galleries over the years and  my CV is available on request.

You can reach me at audreydec@gmail.com

About Valerie

My daughter, Valerie deChadenedes, was born in May 1985 and she passed away in March 2018 from complications of the flu. Valerie had a disability called Rett Syndrome, which occurs mostly in girls, and which has features of cerebral palsy, epilepsy, developmental delay, and autism. Valerie couldn't walk or talk or use her hands, but she had a full and happy life, living at home with me. She communicated using a voice-output computer device, which she operated with her eyes. She had many friends, and loved going to classes, parties, concerts, movies, museums, and the ballet. She was an advocate for disability rights and she and I frequently met with state legislators and testified at hearings in Sacramento. Valerie especially loved spending time in nature, which is why I was inspired to honor her memory at a beautiful spot at  Lake Merced.

To learn more about Rett Syndrome, visit www.rettsyndrome.org