Ann Turley - Walnut, CA

1. How do you describe yourself? Fiber Artist would fairly describe me.

2. What is your creative process? planning, drawing, notes, etc. A little of all of that. When working with a theme I will often list everything that comes to mind, knowing that one of the phrases I have written will materialize into a quilt. Oh, and doodling helps a lot in the process as well.

3. What's your style? My style is whimsical, often abstract, sometimes pictorial, and almost always incorporates surface design.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I began sewing at a very young age, probably 5 or 6. My mother dreamed of being a fashion designer and encouraged me to express myself in fabric and style. We both began to quilt in the early 1990's, but I quickly felt restricted by traditional patterns. It was way more fun to do my own thing!

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? Sometimes yes, sometimes no - it depends on my current project. Anything from the sixties makes me very happy.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? To get out of that funk I will switch to another creative outlet such as watercolor or photography. Often by looking at the world through a different pair of glasses I can spark an idea for my fiber art.

7. Do you teach? Yes, I do teach for guilds all over California. What makes me smile is when a student "gets it". I call that the light bulb moment.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? There are so many new and different things that I have yet to try that it is hard to name just one.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? It has become much easier to do this now that I have retired and the kids are grown and gone. My husband is very supportive and understands me, even when my muse strikes after I'm supposed to be asleep, forcing me to get up and go back to the studio!

10. What is the best part about what you do? I love the creative process - developing the idea into an image, then translating it into fabrics, texture and embellishment.

http://mysite.verizon.net/resw2sjh/annturley/