For as long as I can remember, I have expressed myself through
artwork. My formal training was primarily in design, drawing,
and studio painting. After many years of painting,
sewing, and experimenting with other media, I discovered that
fabric, as a fine art medium, best expressed my personal vision.
Since 1982, I have been a quilt maker, i.e., my work is constructed
from layers of fabric, stitched together with batting or other
filler between the layers.
I love the tactile qualities of cloth, and the unlimited color
range made possible by hand dyeing, and other surface design
techniques. For twenty years, virtually all of my quilts begin with white, 100%
cotton fabric. The fabric was dyed, painted and printed to
create the palette of colors and visual texture used in piecing
and appliquéing my images. In 2004 I began licensing some of my original painted and dyed designs to Benartex, for use in commercially screened fabrics, and many of the quilts since then have included these fabrics.(see Gradations quilts & Splash quilts)I am also making a series
of quilts from images scanned and manipulated in the computer
and printed directly on fabric with archival ink jet inks. (See digital quilts)
The focus of my work is on the qualities of color, line,
and texture, which will engage the spirit and emotions of
the viewer, evoking a sense of mystery, excitement, or joy. Illusions
of movement, depth, and luminosity are common to most of my
work. The inner glow is created by hand dyeing or painting
my fabrics in gradual progressions from light to dark.
Both my geometric color studies, and my more organic, curved
seam abstracts are inspired by visual impressions, collected
in my travels, in my everyday life, and in my imagination.
Although some of my quilts include pictorial images, my work
is most often about seeing, experiencing, and imagining, rather
than pictorial representation of any specific object or species.
When recognizable objects appear, they represent the emotions
and flights of fantasy evoked by those objects. My intention
is to focus on positive energy and depict that in my work.
I intend for my quilts to be seen and enjoyed by others.
It is my hope that they will lift the spirits and delight
the eyes of those who see them. I am constantly learning and
my work evolves as I find new images in my imagination and
develop the techniques to create them in cloth. As a teacher
I believe that the magic of art lies in our heads and in our
hearts. I love sharing my techniques with others so they can
share their magic with me.
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