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.