Artist's Statement

As an artist working with color in fabric, paper and threads, my goal is a vibrant, animated and vigorous art wall quilt.  My medium challenges me to translate into a nonverbal art quilt the power of my soul.  I use bold colors, shapes and dimensions using artist dyed and commercial over-dyed fabrics and scraps from various places including sari and upholstery shops, thrift stores and used garments.

I work from an idea, a photo, a painting or a scene that captures my imagination and creates a mental image to represent some aspect of the inspiring theme. I lay out all the fabrics that may or may not work with the theme; e.g., green for the fields or maybe red for the fields. The goal of each piece is an abstraction so colors need not represent reality. Freeform organic images are randomly cut and grouped on the design board until they begin to express the mood I am seeking. I continue to work intuitively allowing each piece to determine its own path and direction.

Each wall quilt has at least three layers; the pieced top that is layered with many pieces, the batting which  gives the quilt  shape, direction and contours when embroidered and  quilted;  the backing which completes the art quilt.  My work is being influenced by traveling, distressed buildings and barns that have weathered the times, and destruction wrought by wars.