Artist Profile: Sherri Lipman McCauley

Sherri Lipman McCauley
Lakeway, Texas
www.SherriLipmanMcCauley.blogspot.com

1. Describe your signature style in 5 words: abstract, geometric, asymmetric, serendipitous, and extemporaneous.

2. Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it? I sometimes work in collage on mounted canvases. I enjoy working on a smaller scale and the flexibility of using found objects and paint.

3. What's coming up for you in your artistic world? I am currently co-curating two shows for the fiber group I belong to - Austin Fiber Artists. One will be hanging in the Austin Bergstrom International Airport from July-October 2014. The second is a show for the Texas Federation of Fiber Artists within the Austin Area Quilt Guild Show in September 2014.Additionally, I recently completed a 2 1⁄2 year Art Mastery program with Jane Dunnewold, and our class show will be part of the Houston IQA Show in the fall of 2014.

4. Do you have any studio rituals? It seems like before I get started, I always need to clear off a space to work on. De-clutter should be my mantra. And then, music gets turned on (Suzanne Vega, Carly Simon or Carole King), and the fun begins!

5. Who has inspired you on your artistic journey? Jane Dunnewold, Kerr Grabowski, and Sherill Kahn.

6. What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without? Music, a cutting mat, a rotary cutter, paint, and a great view out my window (my studio overlooks Lake Travis).

7. What is on your design table right now? An abstract piece I have entered in a juried show for Austin Fiber Artists and patterns to make a funky dress for my daughter.

8. How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc.? With coffee.

9. Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)? My mini-dachshunds - Vienna and Cinnamon - like to keep tabs on me while working in the studio.

10. What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections?  Coming up with a design that embraced the topic was my biggest challenge. I had a number of ideas, but none of them seemed to capture the sentimental mood of Reflections. After a visit to my aging parents, I came up with the final idea for my entry. I began to think about the age of my parents, reflecting on the ages of my daughters, now in college, and I realized that there is joy on both sides of the continuum of time - in memories and thoughts of the future. My dad passed away after submitting my entry, so it is a bittersweet memory to have my quilt accepted.