Verdayle Forget has been an artist all her life, and we’re proud to have been able to work with her over the last ten years. Her art is inspiring, but so is her love. Her kindness shows no prejudice, and she is wildly charitable. After only a few exchanges I was under the impression that if I needed the t-shirt off her back, she’d give it to me without question, and we had only just met.

Verdayle has been through heartbreak and tragedy. She hasn't let grief consume her, though, instead she uses it, as if it is one of her treasured paints, to color her life with acts of kindness and gratitude. One of the those many acts is dedicating her newest collection, Verdayle’s Baby Wild®, to a charity near and dear to her heart, the Wana Duma Children’s Project.

 

Left: Polar Bears Kids T-Shirt; Right: Field of Dreams Kids T-shirt

Wana Duma helps children and mothers affected by the AIDS epidemic in Kenya. Their outreach provides basic needs like a safe, stable environment, food, clothing, and schooling. Founder Susan Garrison and Verdayle Forget have been friends for years. They support each other in all their endeavors, and when it came time to release a new collection Verdayle knew exactly who she wanted to dedicate it to.

A portion of proceeds from each t-shirt sold from Verdayle’s Baby Wild® Collection goes to Wana Duma, and all the amazing work they do. 

Verdayle Forget Answered a Few of Our Questions About Her Inspiration and Working with Wana Duma

  

Let’s start with the basics. Where did your inspiration come for Verdayle’s Baby Wild®?

I have been working with The Mountain for ten years. Michael McGloin, the Art Director, and I were in a telephone discussion one day, and he asked me, “How would you like your own Brand?” We were talking about having a theme of baby animals, and I said, “Baby Wild”. I applied for a Trademark, and in that process I added my name to the front to make it unique, and Verdayle’s Baby Wild® was born. I put aside all commitments and began photographing and painting baby animals and horses. I was just working on the premise that there would be a market for kids clothing and Verdayle’s Baby Wild® would fit into that niche.

How did you first find out about Wana Duma? How did you meet Susanne Garrison?

I first found out about Susanne Garrison years before Wana Duma. I was introduced to her by a mutual friend. I had seen a documentary about The Cheetah Conservation Fund. I told my friend about it, and she said, “I know a lady that goes to Africa and Volunteers there.” My comment was , “Sure you do.” I was given Susanne’s telephone number, and she came to my studio to see my work. Come to find out she lives five minutes away from me. I was commissioned to do a painting of Cheetahs for a fundraiser poster. That was 19 years ago.

Related Read: A Woman's Quest to Change the Lives of Children Affected by the Aids Epidemic in Africa

Wow. What a small world, right? To think Susanne lived 5 minutes down the street from you, and you two had never met before this. The stars must have aligned!

VF: Meeting Susanne has been a true blessing, she has many of my paintings and we are a great support system for each other. Susanne founded Wana Duma in 2002 when she witnessed the need of AIDS orphaned children and the elderly grandmothers that care for them. I was introduced by proxy to a young girl that was a budding artist. When Susanne went back to Africa I would send art supplies with her for Elizabeth, and Elizabeth would send drawings and letters back to me when Susanne came back to The States.

It must have been heartwarming to be able to help a kindred spirit like Elizabeth. Was she one of the Orphans that Susanne works with?

VF: I never met Elizabeth in person but she was a part of my life for several years. I think she was about 12 or 13. I don’t really know if her parents were AIDS victims. She did go to boarding school in Gilgil, Kenya; supported by Wana Duma. I sponsored her for about four years before she went back home to care for he mother. I so appreciated her drawings they were very creative.

Now, there are a lot of charities in the world, so what is it about the Wana Duma Children’s Project that made you want to dedicate your collection to their mission?

VF: When I was seven years old my 3-month-old baby sister passed away. In my will I have donated all of my original paintings to Seattle Children’s Hospital to be sold at auction for the greatest need of the kids. They have right of first refusal for the original paintings in Verdayle’s Baby Wild®. When I see the incredible work, sacrifice, and dedication Wana Duma does for those kids, that is where my heart is. If one child can be saved it will have been worth it. I will continue to paint for the children for the rest of my life.

My heart is breaking. That must have been so difficult losing your baby sister. I’m so sorry for your loss.

VF: I am an only child, and my baby sister was “my" little person. I was devastated. I wasn’t home when it happened; I was at my grandparents farm. When my parents came to pick me up, Judy wasn’t in the car. Back home, I marched into the funeral home and demanded they give her back to me.

I have become a member of Guardian Circle at Seattle Children’s Hospital. When I muster enough courage, I want to go visit the hospital and see the kids.

Just a side note: One day Susanne was here, and I was saying I was worried about my legacy. I didn’t want my paintings used to make a bonfire in the back yard, and mentioned the Children’s Hospital, at which point she informed me that her husband’s grandmother founded the Children’s Hospital, and he would give me a contact person to call. The Director of the Guardian Circle came to my studio to look at my work, and I could tell I had been fully investigated. There are no accidents.

Is there any piece in the collection that you are particularly proud of, or that holds a special meaning to you?

VF: When someone asks, “What is your favorite piece of work?” I usually say, “the next one”. I say that because it gives me a chance to improve on every new painting, and I most always include something that I have never painted before or something very difficult so that I don’t fall back on the familiar and stagnate. At this time I like the thoroughbred race horse mare and foal: Title, "Hope For The Roses.” Each is looking out at a different direction, like they are looking toward the future race that will get them another step toward the Derby and beyond. This painting was commissioned by the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association for the cover of the 1991 Mixed Winter Sale Catalog. I like the touch of red and the blue shirt that creates the sky.

Check out Verdayle's Baby Wild® available now.