I create original art quilts and mixed-media collage using fabric, paper, acrylic paint, fabric dye, and other creative materials.
My love of fabric began when my children were young. I was looking for a creative outlet that worked well with parenting and quilting seemed to fit the bill. I began with traditional quilt-making, but soon realized that I didn’t want to follow someone else’s pattern or vision. I also found myself rebelling against precise measurement and matching points! Thus began my journey into the world of art quilting and, more recently, mixed-media collage.
Apart from an occasional class or workshop, I am mostly self-taught. I work primarily with commercial batiks, but also use hand-dyed cottons, dupioni silks, decorative fibers and, more recently, hand-painted fabrics, various papers, acrylic paints and even small pieces of dicroic glass. Much of my work begins improvisationally: piecing, slashing, piecing, and arranging until I have mini compositions which I then combine with other fabrics and materials to create a satisfying composition. I typically sandwich the layers, stitch them together, and may choose an appropriate background surface on which to extend the design. Overall, my goal is to create vibrant and colorful abstract compositions that invite you to take a closer look.
Since beginning my artistic journey, I have also raised two children and worked as a writer, author, speaker, organizational leader, event planner and wedding officiant. (www.ceremoniesandevents.com.)