About the Artist
Mary Jo Bowers made her first quilt in 1970 from a kit - knowing nothing about appliqué, quilting, basting or putting it together. Yet it somehow got done and the family used it until it was totally worn out. It was not until the 80's that she made a quilt again first with hand piecing and quilting; then with silk ribbon embroidery on garments. This process has now evolved into her contemporary pieces representing her emotional response to her physical and spiritual environment.
Her present work is characterized by bold colors, shapes and dimensions using artist dyed and commercial over-dyed fabrics, painted fabric and all scraps from various venues including sari shops, thrift stores, upholstery shops and friends used garments. She can use all fabrics - cottons, silks, polyesters, wools - in her work as she uses a fusible web to piece them together. With a color and schematic idea in mind she pulls out fabrics that complement and highlight each other. This includes any zingers, darks and lights, complementary and secondary color variations which will add interest, movement and life to the piece. When the fabrics dance on the cutting table, she cuts freehand with a rotary cutter. It is an intuitive process that takes her on a journey with the destination unknown. Her pre-conceived notions of the final outcome are discarded as the piece comes together. The separate pieces are pinned, taken down, re-pinned and repositioned many times before they are finally assembled using a fusible web. When she is satisfied that the piece is "right", she finishes it with machine and/or hand embroidery.
Mary Jo has worked on two series during the past year. The first was Circles I-X which range in size from 14" x 14" to 60" x 80". Faces are whimsical pieces no larger than 10" x 12". She is now concentrating on more abstract images.
She has had several solo shows and participated in many large quilt shows and multi-media art shows throughout the United States and France. She has many ribbons for her work and has been published in several books. Her upcoming solo show begins January 13, 2007 at the Dittmar Gallery on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston.
Mary Jo has a Master's degree in social work and did family counseling in schools and hospitals for many years until she became a realtor in 1976. During those years she attended classes and workshops to hone her quilting and embroidery skills. She has now retired from these careers to spend fulltime with her quilting except for Mondays when she is "gramma" to her granddaughter. She and her husband Norm live in Chicago.
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