Artist Profile: Valerie C. White

Valerie C. White
Denver, Colorado
valeriecwhite.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?  This was my first time participating with the Dinner at 8 artists group. I appreciated the opportunity and challenge, the 40x 40 orientation  was comfortable size.  

2. Describe your design area, specifically your work table:  what is the best thing about it?

My wet bench is a fairly decent size 8 feet x 4 feet and level with my waist, I can work for hours without my back hurting.  Several layers of heavy felt cover a plywood board, the last layer is duck cloth.This allows me to pin my cloth directly onto the table providing a great surface for printing and painting.   

3. What set this quilt apart from other recent projects you have been working on?  I felt this work allowed me to share both a serious and playful side of myself. Knitting is how I relax these days, I love the feel of beautiful yarn in my hands... as well as my love of Trees and Roots. 

4. When you get “stuck” how do you deal with a “design block”?  How do you overcome it?   Problems are not always a bad thing, a design block forces me to discover and explore unexpected options for the work.  When I'm really stuck I will ask for the support of my critique group.

5. Do you work on single or multiple projects at the same time? It depends, if I'm creating backgrounds for later work I might have a few going at the same time. For this exhibit I worked and focused only on the single piece. 

6. What do you hope people take away from your work?  It is my intent to entice the viewer to consider a fresh and new appreciation for objects we take for granted namely "ROOTS" perhaps seeing roots in such a literal manner could foster new respect for the earth.

7. What are the best parts of working on an art quilt:  What are your least favorite parts?  I'm always excited to begin and also to end.. To see the work fully realized is rewarding.  My favorite part of the process is the quilting...Nothing is more expressive than a single line, the depth and texture of  both machine stitches and handwork are unparalleled. I must admit attaching sleeves and hardware to hang the work is my least favorite part of the process.

8. What art/quilt-related organizations do you belong to?  I belong to a host of organizations that support Fiber artists.... SDA, SAQA, FRCQ  Colorado Quilt Council, Wa Shonji Quilt Guild and the Denver ART Museum.

9. Do you have a preferred color palette?  Why?  It's a funny thing about my preferred color palette, when asked "whats your favorite color"  my response was always " I relate to color like my children I do not have a favorite"   then I took a really good look at my work and  saw orange every where!!!!  It's a challenge for me to make a quilt that does not include the color orange. Orange make me happy.A split Complementary color scheme which includes a variation of orange is always a good starting place for me. 

10. What do you regard as your most interesting milestones along your art journey? There have been many blessings along the way, my most treasured experience to date is having work juried into the exhibit “Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela.” in Johannesburg. South Africa.     Seeing the exhibit in South Africa will always be one of the highlights of my life.