Artist Profile: Lyric Montgomery Kinard

Lyric Montgomery Kinard
Cary, North Carolina

1.  What year did you make your first quilt?    Traditional or art?  1992, a log cabin made of old denim jeans, two layers of batting, and a twill backing. For some reason I thought a picnic quilt should be very heavy.

2.  What is the first show, and year, that you ever entered your art quilts?  Venue?  1994, I entered my first bed quilt, a card trick block made in primary colors with white and black alternating blocks and appliquéd alien blobs with googley eyes. It won "best first quilt" at the Capital Quilt Guild quilt show.

3.  What is your artistic style?  Right now I work in two styles, small textural and improvisational abstracts with lots of hand stitching, or large whole cloth surface designed representational work.

4.  Have you ever changed your style from when you started making quilts?  Many times over the years. I began as a traditional quilter but made a quick turn into art quilting but have had a number of shifts as my interests change and the allotted time for art has expanded as my children have grown.

5.  What other style in quilt making piques your interest?  Photo-realism with intensely colored cloth - but I'm not interested in pursuing it right now.

6.  What other medium in art influences your work as a fiber artist?  I love all media - especially ceramic sculpture, glass, and illustrative and realistic painting.

7.  What do you have coming up?  Shows, Articles in magazines, Books, etc.  I'll be in Houston at IQF this fall, and at a NC retreat with the talented Susan Brubakker Knapp in November.

8.  Where will your art take you from here?  To a quiet place of peace, order, and beauty!

9.  Describe your studio space:  A 12' x 12' doorless room, right on the main floor of the house - no closets, crammed as full as it can get.

10. What was the biggest challenge you have encountered in the making of your art quilt for "An Exquisite Moment?"  The design and creation of the cloth came in a wonderful and effortless flow - then slammed to a sudden halt when I had to figure out what to do with the quilting.

http://www.lyrickinard.com/index.html