Artist Profile: Yvonne Porcella

Yvonne Porcella 

Modesto, CA 

www.yvonneporcella.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?   No problem, I have used this size in my work since 1993

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? Add on room, width of the house,

custom made table, 4" x 8" W 39"H cork surface. At one end a 22" x 42"W x 27" sewing machine table. Quiet view of the forest.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? A portion of the design hung on my wall for 2 years, it would greet me when I entered the room. I was tempted to mount it and frame it without stitching. I do not have unfinished projects, Affinity was the perfect time to finish it. 

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I would not call it a block, just take a minute to rethink the project. If needed get out my favorite art books for inspiration. 

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? Only one at a time, comes from my years of being an operating room nurse. We only worked on one patient at a time. 

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Be inspired, want to own it, remember the artists name!

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? Just letting it flow intuitively. no rules, no pressure for perfection. Sewing the sleeve on, following IQA rules, clipping threads. 

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? SAQA. Alliance for American Quilts, IQA, San Jose Museum Quilts & Textiles, National League of American Pen woman.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? Bright with red and black and white somewhere. I have visited many museums, seen fabulous artworks, a bit of red in the paintings draws my attention. 

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Founding SAQA, serving on many quilt related Board of Directors, sharing my institutional memory, Quilter's Hall of Fame Inductee, Honoree of IQA, traveling to teach, museums acquiring my work, having career retrospectives, seeing my name and art work on a large banner outside an art center, having a dealer who sold my work.

Artist Profile: Barb Forrister

Barb Forrister

Austin, Texas

www.BarbForrister.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?   Yes, I felt extremely challenged to work in a square format. I have such a difficult time staying "in the box" so to speak!

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? My design area consists of a portable design wall that is essentially a pink foam board that I picked up at Home Depot. I use it to paint on and often pin my works in progress to it while I am quilting so that I can carry it around and even bring it outside to audition colors and thread choices in a better light.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? The square format and 2 dimensional aspect sets this piece on a very different level from my normal 3 dimensional artwork.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? Great question! Sometimes, I just need time and/or inspiration to overcome my design block. A trip to the zoo or nature preserve does wonders for me!

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I usually work on one project at a time though I have been known to juggle a few simultaneously.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? It is my sincere wish that people come to have a greater respect for nature and it's many creatures.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I absolutely love the painting aspect of my work and while I do enjoy the quilting aspect, my least favorite part is the finishing work, i.e. the squaring, facing, sleeve and label. By this time, I just want the piece to be born! lol

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? I am a professional member of Studio Art Quilt Associates and I also belong to the Austin Art Bee and the Austin Fiber Artists group.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I love working in jewel tone colors because they are bold and completely saturated with rich and lush color tones. When paired together, they are most beautiful!

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? I love teaching because I get to meet so many wonderful people and often come away learning something myself.

Artist Profile: Kathy York

Kathy York
Austin, TX
www.aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  I like the square shape and size a lot!

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I usually design on a wall.  I have 2 foam core sheets, each 4' x 8' and covered with polartec fabric.  The big size allows me to work big and when working smaller I can put up several projects at the same time. Sometimes, when fusing a quilt top, I work on the floor and I can arrange the entire top and just press in place.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? I have been making more modern quilts lately, so it was fun to work on an art quilt again.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I spend some time generating lots of possible options and then try to visualize each one to pick the best one.  It may mean moving around the composition a bit, or trying out different fabrics.  Some times I will photograph the parts that I already like and then play with the image on photoshop to try out ideas before proceeding.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I usually work on multiple projects at the same time.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? I always hope that my work hits a sweet spot on a visual level and an interesting spot on a thoughtful level!

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I really enjoy designing art quilts and selecting color palettes. I also really like it when my work gets selected to be in the public eye for a while, with one caveat:  I really miss my quilts that go to venues that keep it for several years. 

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? I belong to SAQA, International Quilt Association, Austin Modern Quilt Guild, and the Austin Area Quilt Guild.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I like bright colors because they are visually stimulating and fun to work with.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? I enjoy sewing and quilting a lot, but I never expected this love of fabric to lead to the great number of fabulous people I have met along my journey.

Artist Profile: Karol Kusmaul

Karol Kusmaul
Inverness, FL 
http://www.kquilt.com   
        
1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  Or if this is your first
time with us, how did you like the size? I like the square format.  40 by 40” is larger than I
usually make, but I do enjoy larger art pieces.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I work
on a vertical design wall so I can get some distance . . .  It is flannel covered insulation board, so it’s pinnable and grabs cotton fabrics.  What I like best is that my work is there so I can see it every day and tweak as needed.  I hand applique mostly on my kitchen counter.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? This piece is kind of like four pieces in one, and it is a color scheme I don’t normally use.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it?  Say, “What if . . . ?”  Have no fear.  Try something unexpected.  Follow Art principles.  Get input from others.  Look at it sideways or upside down.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? Multiples upon multiples.  At the moment I have several customer quilts on my list, as well as class samples, various SAQA challenges, calls for entry, and many unfinished art quilts.  I WILL get caught up one day.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Joy in pattern.  The power of contrast.  Appreciation for fabric. The stories my quilts tell.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? The inspiration and design process are the most fun for me.  I enjoy doing slow handwork as well as fast machine quilting.  I struggle with naming some pieces, and wish I didn’t have to make labels, binding, sleeves, and photograph each piece. Even though I use a tripod, I hold my breath when trying to get everything lined up!

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? Studio Art Quilt Associates, Florida Craft Art Gallery member, Citrus County Crafters

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I enjoy many different color schemes, and my favorite one changes all the time.  I enjoy looking at paintings from the past, and using colors that Master artists have chosen.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? 1. Receiving compliments on my drawings as a child   2. Watching small children making art (as a teacher)   3. Jumping from elementary to high school level as an art teacher!  Teaching college level Advanced Placement Art courses   4.  Getting to see art in several Paris museums   5. Retiring and having time to work on my fabric Art.  Seeing my work all together in solo exhibits.

Artist Profile: Linda Anderson

Linda Anderson
La Mesa,CA
www.laartquilts.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  Or if this is your first time with us, how did you like the size?  I loved the size.  I usually work at least this big or larger so this was very comfortable for me.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I work in a very small space.  My work table is 4 ft by 6 ft,, including the 18” sit down medium arm machine.  I have about 1 foot of space on one side of the table and 3 feet on the other two sides.  The other side is against a wall window.  That’s it!  Did I say small space?  I do almost everything in this space.  A place for everything, and everything in its place.  That comes from living on a boat for 3 years. 

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? Ah-h-h-h.  I got to take a special connection in myself and make it visual and tangible.  And working out the imagery to do that was exciting.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I always draw out my quilts beforehand using colored pencils to create it exactly as it want it to look when finished.  This is when I will draw and redraw until I have it right.  It could take a week of working daily, just on this part of it.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time?  I only work on one project at a time.  My brain is so wrapped up in that project and imagery and the challenges inherent in it, it’s all I can do to just focus on that one piece. 

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Intrigue, wonder, a sense of beauty, a glimpse of a story, an image that stays in their mind.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I don’t know if I love the painting or the sewing more on my art quilts.  They are both so integral to the finished piece, they’re inseparable in the outcome.  I’m not sure I have a least favorite, but perhaps it’s weaving in my threads on the back to hide them invisibly.  But then a jazz station is good to work from then.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? I belong to California Fibers, SAQA, Quilts on the Wall, and Beyond the Edge Fiber Artists.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why?  Probably complementary colors such as violets and golds, and blues and oranges, all done from darks to lights within each spectrum.  Complementary colors just sing in their own special way.  I make sure I have all the value scales within each color.  There’s a richness in strong contrasts of values when also juxtaposed with subtleties.  . 

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey?  Being part of Invitationals in museums and galleries around the US has been mind blowing to me. Winning my first few competitions stunned me.  Working in solitary day in and day out, I never know how others will react to my work.  I just know I have to do it.  So when I get recognition, I have to pinch myself.  To me, I’m doing the only thing I know to do: create.  And that others appreciate it is icing on the cake.

Artist Profile: Virginia Spiegel

Virginia A. Spiegel
Byron, Illinois
http://www.virginiaspiegel.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?   I usually work with a long horizon line, so it took some thought to work toward a square shape for the artwork.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it?  I work both upstairs and in the basement in our house.  Upstairs means an Ikea table that is used as a writing table, a cutting area, and many other uses. I keep this studio relatively neat as so many things need to happen in one space. The basement is my painting and mixed-media area.  It features a bunch of miscellaneous 8 and 6 foot tables, some covered in 4x8 sheets of melamine.  It’s
a mess down there and I like it!

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on?  I have been experimenting with working more realistically and this was a nice bridge between that and my usual abstract style.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you
overcome it?  I’m never stuck because I have so many things going on, in and out of the studio.  No time!

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time?  Multiple. See #4 above.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work?  An appreciation for the complexity and beauty of Nature;  an understanding that my artwork involves a great deal of intellectual thought and emotional investment.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite
parts?  Best:  When I myself am amazed by what I have created.  Least: Any sort of construction issues, finishing edges, exhibition sleeves.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to?  Studio Art Quilt Associates, Edge (Contemporary Fiber Artists, Art Quilters, and Mixed Media Artists)

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why?  Since my artwork usually focuses on nature, I do seem to use a lot of blue, brown, green, orange.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art
journey?  The fact that I am an artist at all as I assumed I would spend my career in academia.

Artist Profile: Sarah Ann Smith

Sarah Ann Smith
Maine
www.sarahannsmith.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?   I was thrilled (as you may have noticed by the big cheer when it was announced at dinner in Houston!).

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? It’s big, near the ironing area, and well-lit.  It’s an old IKEA drop-leaf dining table for which I built a rolling platform.  I love that I remember when we ate on it, see the cat-claw scratches.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? This piece is more from my imagination and less from a true image: the words inspired me first.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? Often, I have to wait weeks and even months before I can work on a piece in actual cloth, dye and thread.  That gives me a lot of time to edit and revise in my head, so I rarely have design block the way most people do.  But when something doesn’t work, I just let it sit on the design wall until I figure out what to do.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I’m usually so busy, that I can’t really cope with more than one or two things going at once.  I prefer to finish, tidy so that I can once again function and find the table tops, and start fresh.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Inspiration at the world around us, a sense of wonder, and knowing that we all were beginners once, that with work you can achieve more than you ever thought you could.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? The best part is creating the design, brainstorming for ideas, and quilting.  The least favorite parts are definitely basting and picking out stitches!

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? SAQA, IQA, AQS

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? Preferred palette:  Everything!   I tend to prefer clear tones that I think of as Caribbean colors, but they sing best when they have muted and darks to let them shine.  So I need and use just about everything, except maybe puce and dingy stuff.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey?
Realizing that I needed to stop taking quilt classes and start taking ART classes.
Getting in to IQA Houston for the first time, and getting published.
Being juried in to this exhibit every year I have tried.
Receiving an award from Ricky Tims for Design and Composition, back when I was really not sure if I was doing OK on the art side of things.
Being juried in to the Whistler Museum of Art exhibit this year and having one of my two pieces selected for the promotional materials.
It’s been an amazing ride, and hope there is a lot more to come!

Artist Profile: Stacy Hurt

Stacy Hurt
Orange, CA
www.stacyhurt.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you? Yes, the square is not one of my favorite design elements but I was happy to have the challenge.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I have a design wall that I will not live without. It is essential for me to be able to step back let the design ‘rest’ for a bit.  This allows freedom to play with the elements until I’m satisfied. I give up premium wall real estate in my house for this.  

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? Everything! The square shape, the magical realism; the muted fall colors, the minimalist beading. It was such a personal piece for me I feel like my soul is in each fiber.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I remind myself that even though I think I see the final design in my head; it may not end up that way and I need to let that pragmatic approach go.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? Very often it’s multiple.  I’m extremely lucky to have lots of commissioned work so I tend to always have at least two to three projects working at the same time.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? I leave that up to them.  I make the work I need to make and if others enjoy it that is a total bonus. It’s thrilling to be  included in fabulous collections like this one!  

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? If it’s for a show I love entertaining ideas for the theme.  If it’s for a customer the joy of getting to know them and design something they will love. If it’s for myself, making something experimental!           

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? Modern Quilt Guild; American Quilters Society; First Friday Artists.  

9. Do you have a preferred color palette? I am still in love with Black and White for art quilts. However my beaded projects are an explosion of color and texture. Why?  I get the best of both worlds that way.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Discovering new mediums to work in. I never would have imagined I could paint but in working with acrylic calligraphy inks on lettering; I’ve learned techniques that allow me to paint other objects as well. I have also learned to never give up; even the smallest misstep can become the greatest point of interest.               

Artist Profile: Wen Redmond

Wen Redmond

Strafford, NH

http://wenredmond.weebly.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  I like the change in size. Playing with the new size for this exhibit was challenging yet invigorating.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I like my large studio table it's made from 2 36 inch high gorilla shelves, spaced 6 feet apart. It has a plywood board attached to the top. I covered the plywood with low loft batting and a large sheet of cotton duck. This provides a somewhat flexible surface for printing, ironing, stamping, silkscreening and other similar processes. When I need to cut, I put a large cutting matt on top. When I need to paint or use mediums,  I cover the entire table with a large sheet of 4 ml plastic. 

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? This piece has a lot of personal reflection. It is somewhat journalistic. I used recycled journal papers, poems I've written, inspirational quotes that I like, and pieces of fabric from my own personal collection, to construct collage presentation. 

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I hardly ever get stuck. But when I feel the need for motivation, I usually take myself for a walk, a long walk. Sometimes I like to go to the ocean and just breathe in the salt air. In any case, it's that opening of space, to allow ideas to come up and out. Ideas I have but aren't quite formulated, similar to a rest in musical scores. 

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? I always work on more than one piece at a time. I find working on multiple projects fertilizes each project. 

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Connection, a sense of similar feelings, roots, and recognition of our humanity. 

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? Experimenting, exploring, trying new ideas, using the freedom that the art quilt movement has engendered. I guess, the least favorite part would be putting on the sleeve. 

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? I'm part of several fiber related organizations.  I belong to several guilds.  I am belong to several art organizations, SDA and SAQA. 

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I love colors from nature, a muted subtle palette of natural tones that gradually delineate from each other to create a whole. 

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Growth is a very important factor in my perception of an artist. I can see changes in my work over the years and other themes that carry through in my work to this day. I have learned to exhibit, to jury into exhibits, to become part of craft organizations, to have an exhibit booth, to sell my work and to become a business woman in the field.

Artist Profile: Heather Pregger

Heather Pregger

Fort Worth, Texas

www.heatherquiltz.com



1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?  Or if this is your first time with us, how did you like the size? I loved the size. I think they will display beautifully.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? The best thing:  the view of my garden.  I have lots of windows on the West and South walls, and my space is light, bright and beautiful.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? I don't usually work with a theme in mind. It was an interesting challenge to make my abstract quilt convey "magnetic attraction."

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I walk away. I find the best remedy to "design block" is time. When I come back to the studio and look at my piece again, I can usually figure out how to proceed.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? Single. I like to concentrate my energies on one piece.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? A sense of color(s) flowing across the plane of the quilt. 

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? The best part: working out a design. I love to make pieces, place them on the design wall and start moving them around. The worst: sewing the facing.  Yuk!

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? SAQA, Modern Quilt Guild (Fort Worth Chapter), SDA, Quilter's Guild of Dallas, AQS, IQA

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? I love the entire warm side of the color wheel. From yellow to red violet.  Those colors make me very happy.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? My recent exhibit of quilts in the Oulu Museum of Art in Oulu, Finland is the top.  Second, winning the SAQA CREAM Award at Visions in 2014.  And my blue ribbons at Houston International Quilt Festival and American Quilter's Society-Paducah.

Artist Profile: Lyric Kinard

Lyric Montgomery Kinard

Cary, NC

www.LyricKinard.com

1. Did the change in dimensions present any specific challenges for you?   I have been thinking in long narrow format row a couple of years and had some really great ideas that worked with it, so the square format caused me to start the design phase from scratch this year.

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it? I have a drafting table that a college professor allowed me to rescue from the refuse pile. It’s the perfect hight for working while standing and I’ve replaced the top with a wider board… It’s just big enough for the size I like to work with.

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on? This quilt moved deeper into what I’m finding as my favorite voice. It came together very quickly once I actually started on it.

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it? I need a deadline as I can procrastinate forever - thinking that this or that idea just isn’t quite the right one. Nothing like a looming deadline to force the issue.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? Too many projects to count - I get bored very easily and will set one thing aside to pursue another. This is not always a good thing.

6. What do you hope people take away from your work? Joy, serenity, peace. Whatever they need to take from the work is what I want them to find.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts? I love designing and the painting process. Although I love the added texture of stitch and can’t imagine my work without it, machine quilting is my least favorite part of the process.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to? SAQA. The Professional Art Quilters Alliance - South.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why? These days it is almost entirely neutrals. Sometimes one color gives an accent. I think that I’m allowing texture to become an element that dominates color in my current work.

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? Publishing Art + Quilt  and realizing that I can help people learn the basics of the visual language. Too many people think they “are not creative” when in fact they simply haven’t been taught the basics of art in a way that is easy and approachable.