Artist Profile: Kristin LaFlamme

Kristin La Flamme

Portland, Oregon

IG: @kristinlaflamme

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Precarious piles of fabric and papers.

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? It might be surprising to find that I was an athlete in High School.

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? A carpeted path curving between my serger sewing machine and the embroidery module for my sewing machine (both stashed on the floor when not in use).

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? Winning Best of Show at Art Quilt Elements in 2013 with my cat quilt!

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? True confession: I do not.

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? ‘Murica, a large flag quilt created out of tessellated pistol shapes stands to me out because of it’s size and bold message.

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? I have an affinity for scraps and scrappy looking quilts!

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? I like to mix machine and hand stitching to create literal texture. Repetitive shapes or fabrics create interest.

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? A house shape, with or without roots, often works it’s way into my quilts. Otherwise a fearless mix of disparate fabrics is usually my calling card.

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? I was inspired by radial symmetry in traditional quilt blocks and finding a way to reflect that (and it’s inherent reflection) in the scrappy medallion style with which I’m currently enamored.

Artist Profile: Cindy Cooksey

Cindy Cooksey

Irvine, California

 

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? A pile of hexagons from a hexie exchange. Silk chiffon selvedges for a challenge. Fabric pulled for a quilt idea that may or may not happen.

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? Beneath my reserved, quiet exterior is a comedian longing to come out. Just kidding. Or am I? I do like making people laugh, or at least smile. My father had a wonderful, quirky sense of humor, and I like to think that my siblings and I carry some of that within ourselves.

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table?The floor, which sometimes serves as my design wall when my wall is otherwise occupied.

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? Watching the idea in my head turn into the finished quilt I see before me.

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? Must have tea. Must have music and/or radio on while I work, unless I really have to concentrate.

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? The current one.

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? I have an affinity for nature, people, animals. They have become dominant themes in my work.

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? Circles, stripes, hexagons, swirls. Newsprint. 

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? I don’t really know how to answer that. A quirky, whimsical point of view?

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? To me, my morning walks encompassed all of the Dinner at 8 themes. It felt like a no brainer to use my walks as my inspiration.

Artist Profile: Deborah Boschert

Deborah Boschert

Lewisville, Texas

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Stapled to the edges of my work table are pieces of muslin which hang down like curtains hiding lots of bins and drawers under the table. It's a great storage spot.

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? I think there's still a lot I don't know about myself. It's a process. A constant curiosity.

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? Not much at all, just barely two steps. There is an outlet in the floor that is completely impractical because of its location and size.

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? Winning first place in Art Quilt Miniature at Quilt Festival in Houston in 2016 for my quilt Green Bowl Gathering. It was so exciting to be at the awards ceremony and to see my name and quilt on the big screen plus receive my award on stage with lots of my friends cheering me on.

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? I don't really. Just get to work. Try to avoid doubt and distractions.

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? All of them? Oh goodness. Considering just the quilts I created for Dinner at Eight, Waxing Crescent Endeavor for the Reflections theme is 2014 is my favorite. It was a departure for me to include a human figure and I haven't since, but I loved the process and the results.

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? Layers! Paint on top of fabric and stitching on top of that. Maybe even some translucent elements so you can see the layers of paint and fabric beneath the sheer elements.

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? I really love creating original surface design patterns with unexpected tools like toilet paper tubes and hot glue stencils. 

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? There are often personal stories behind the fabric choices in my art quilts like memories of where the fabric was purchased. It's sometimes surprising to me how connected a fabric can be with a memory.

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? I thought it would be a fun challenge to include all the personal symbols I've used in my body of work in one quilt. 

Artist Profile: Martha Wolfe

Martha Wolfe

Davis, CA

www.marthawolfe.com

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Lots of fabric scraps and a pile of things for my current project. Odds and ends that I deemed too important to get rid of but haven’t found a home for and an odd assortment of trinkets from my childhood.

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? I’m the administrator of the Sea Bean Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/48783032705/ - a group of nearly 3000 members (and bots) that, like myself, are fascinated by drift seeds. Sea Beans, in short, are seeds and pods that travel on ocean currents and wash ashore on beaches around the world, thus someone in Cornwall, England can find a seed that fell in the rainforest in South America. Pretty cool stuff….and I have some of them on my work table, too.

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? Theoretically just carpet with an occasional cat.

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? That is a really difficult question! Probably the biggest turning point in my artistic life was becoming friends with Betty Busby at a critical time almost 10 years ago now. I’ve learned a lot from her.

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? That would be a good idea, but not currently.

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? I’ve only participated a couple times prior to this year, but I liked my “A Time to Sew (Tern, Tern, Tern)” piece. I always enjoyed the terns on the beach - so serious and comical at the same time.

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? Birds, bicycles, fish. Nature. In no specific order...

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? I always prefer hand-dyed fabrics, particularly low immersion, batiks, and some commercial prints over solids, to bring things to life. I use silk organza, sometimes painted and/or printed, to separate background and foreground, layering things on top, below, or passing through the surfaceI to create depth and interest. 

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? There is usually a lot of narrative in my work, personal stories of celebration, family, loss, aging and so on, told with bicycles and birds. Sometimes they are obvious and intentional. On occasion, I recognize them after the work is made.

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? When I was in Japan this past January, I was shooting little 10 second videos of tranquil moments - silent snow falling, a waterfall, and so on. My favorite was the rain gently falling on the pond filled with koi in Ritsurin Garden. I remember the perfect joy of being there in that moment.

Artist Profile: Loris Bogue

Loris Bogue
Simi Valley, California

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Piles of fabric, a rotary cutter, a ruler, and my TV headphones.

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you?  That I am a passionate poker player, a killer kegler, and an aspiring artist.

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table?  A laundry basket filled with 54 rice bags I made for our coming quilt show/boutique.

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life?  Any time I make a piece that I know in my heart is good art, and someone else recognizes it as being such.

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio?  Watching and mostly listening to true crime stories on TV while I create.  I have learned from this ritual that the most important rule in committing a crime is never to have a partner.

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you?  The one I made for Rituals, which was a wholecloth quilt, printed on fabric from a photo of the elevator gears that lift the Eiffel Tower elevator.  I was able to combine my love of photography with my Photoshop skills to create a piece that looks like an abstract watercolor.

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work?  With the past.  My mother taught me how to sew, and I have quilts made by my aunt and grandmother.

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture?  Mostly those created by the use of color and value.

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work?  I tend to do graphic designs and to stay away from pastels.

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight?  A photograph I took of the gardeners working in the rain at Claude Monet's house in Giverny, France.  I love doing portraits, but in this case, it seemed appropriate to do backsides, since this year is the "end" of the series.

Artist Profile: Jeannie P. Moore

Jeannie P. Moore
Escondido, California
http://www.jpmartist.com/

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Stacks of papers of quilt instructions or contracts, a water bottle, rotary cutter, scraps of fabric, roll of tissue paper and a marker.
2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? I have recently taken up knitting and I’m still not very good at it. Knitting is very relaxing for me and a change from quilting. And I love buying yarn!
3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? I’m still setting up my new studio but for now it’s a big design wall.
4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? I love the moment that I learn that my quilt has been accepted into a big show. But more than anything I love having the freedom to design and create everyday in my studio.
5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? I like having a clean work table so I do straighten it up especially if I’m involved in a big project.
6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? For my Dinner@8 quilts I think “Milo” is special to me. My black lab and his “ritual” of getting the daily newspaper. And it was especially rewarding to see that quilt displayed in Amsterdam.
7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? I love printing and dyeing my own fabric for my quilts.
8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? I LOVE circles, dots and anything round.
9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? Each of my quilts usually has a little or a lot of newspaper transfer.
10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? I knew I wanted to do patterns and what better way than using my favorite soy wax printed circle fabric.

Artist Profile: Stacy Hurt

Stacy Hurt

Orange, CA

www.stacyhurt.com

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Seam ripper; Metal magnetic tool bowl; magnetic pin cushion. My sewing table is a Steelcase work table 60” x 40” I rescued from our office. Havel Scissors and cup warmer. 

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you?  I have a lovely and powerful singing voice.  It runs in my family.  
 

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? All my hopes and dreams and my Design Wall where they sometimes come true.

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? Walking onto the Long Beach quilt floor and seeing my Cheetah quilt in the very front of the show. 

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? Loading the latest murder mystery on my audible account, getting the cup of tea on the mug warmer and clearing off the small cutting mat next to my machine. 

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? Lift. Painting the Ecstasy of St. Teresa sculpture by Bernini as a base and actually pulling it off better than I ever thought possible.  

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? My own calligraphy and iconic symbols of Ravens, Serpents and Text.

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? Patterns of letters. Always pairing the linear with the serpentine to create a balance.
  

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? Calligraphy and Ravens.

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? Exploring the dichotomy of the common weed; sometimes viewed as invader ; poisoned and ripped out without mercy; but (thankfully) more often appreciated as essential to the entire ecosystem.  The parallel between weeds and humans is fascinating. Hope humans can fare as well as these tough little survivors do.

Artist Profile: Susan Fletcher King

Susan Fletcher King

Houston, Texas

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table?  Lots of art papers and cutting tools and paints and rulers.

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you?  I think I come across as flippant and irreverent, but that is a mask hiding a boatload of anxiety, insecurity and stress.

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table?  It’s all one table and many things overlap from one area to the next including art cloth, threads, paints, scissors, Xacto knives and art papers.  There are no boundaries, much like my work.

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life?  The day I walked into a quilt shop approximately 15 years ago and saw the rows of batik fabrics and fell down the rabbit hole.  That was the moment I began this journey and I have never looked back.

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio?  Right now things are in such an upheaval that finding time to get into the studio constitutes its own ritual.

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you?  My personal favorite (or the one I love to hate) is the D@8 quilt made for the Patterns show.  This piece (a wedge of cabbage) seemed so simple and yet I had so much difficulty conversing with the quilt and literally threw paint at it during one frustrating session. Despite the annoyance and frustration I felt throughout the entire creative process, the quilt eventually worked!

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work?  I like my “critters”.

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? Painted or dyed or deconstructed backgrounds to create a sense of “regular irregularity”.

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work?  In general, my personal iconography is informed by my illustration background in portraying images of birds or insects and amphibians/reptiles, (the critters I referred to in #7).

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight?  I found out about my husband’s affair approximately 1 week after the new D@8 show was announced and I immediately knew that I wanted to chronicle and release my emotions in this last D@8 piece.  The difficult part was resolving the quilt while my marriage and home life are still not entirely resolved.

 

Artist Profile: Ann Turley

Ann Turley

Fallbrook, CA

www.annturley.info

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Multiple swatches of fabric, a couple of works in progress, tools and embelishments I might someday want to use. If I put it all away, I might never find it again!

 

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? Oh my, I am filled with insecurity. Am I good enough to do this, will I be accepted for who I am, will they like my work? 

 

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? A trail of loose threads follows me everywhere. But more to the point, ideas develop between these two points. My cutting table is in the garage so the trip between studio and cutting table can become a time to change my mind or solve a problem.  

 

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? The first SAQA show I ever gathered the courage to submit to was A Sense of Scale, 2012. I was so stunned when I received the acceptance notice that I was jumping for joy! This was an amazing boost to my confidence, and I felt a bit like Sally Fields - you like me, you really like me!

 

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? Open the window to let in the fresh air, evaluate and prioritize what needs to be done. New themes and ideas leap from my brain while I sleep, so the first few minutes are spent writing and sketching. At the end of the day my goal is the leave my studio organized enough so that I can enter in the morning with little to no clutter to hinder me.

 

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? Mortie Learns To Read, accepted by Dinner@8 for the Affinity theme. We had recently lost our last beloved basset hound and my husband asked that I create a memorial quilt. The theme was perfect and I envisioned a hound with glasses, surrounded by stacks of books. This quilt now hangs in a special place in my home, and my husband has asked that I never offer it for sale.

 

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? I love the whole process of creating a pattern, then a quilt from just the spark of an idea. It makes my heart race when the pattern practically draws itself and fabrics all work together.  

 

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? Circles! I love circles. Just when I think the circle has outlived its usefulness, another design opportunity presents itself and the circles jump in. I use them as both design elements and quilting motifs.  

 

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? Whimsy inspires much of what I do. Most of my work is meant to make you smile, or even laugh out loud. When creating an animal-themed quilt, I work at portraying the unexpected. For example, many of my giraffes wear sunglasses, and Mortie wears reading glasses.   

 

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? A recent tour of Peru brought so much inspiration that I was about to explode by the time we returned home. The Inca were and are a fascinating culture who focus their attention on creating textiles with meaningful patterns and lots of color. Gold meant nothing more than ornamentation to them, but a beautifully woven and embroidered piece was highly valued.

Artist Profile: Wen Redmond

Wen Redmond

Strafford, NH

www.wenredmond.com

‪1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table?‬ My work table has a supplies at the ready, pieces or samples of work and ideas to work.

‪2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you?‬ I am an introvert. I need time alone to recharge, download and generally re-center myself.

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table?‬ onothing! I turn to my sewing machine in a lightening second, or a NY minute, when in the flow.

‪4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life?‬ When the work becomes more than I could conceive of in the planning stages. Working is a meditation for me. I lose myself in it and as I work, plans change, the piece dialogues with my sub-conscious and small celebrations are held within.

‪5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio?‬ Actually, no. I seem to work seasonally. I do the actual work mostly in the winter here in the cold blue north. Planning and inspiration seems to take place daily, whether I want it to or not.

‪6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you?‬ Pieces that speak to me generally are more personal. It could be a inspiration from a favorite walk, a photograph of home or near to loved ones, sometimes even a construction technique I enjoy fully.

‪7. What do you have an affinity for in your work?‬ Experimentation! Without a doubt! When I was writing my book, Digital Fiber, I would make a sample and immediately get an idea for another sample. I had gobs of materials to send my publisher.

‪8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? ‬Texture itself speaks to me. Textures created with mixed media materials can be printed digitally with the use of an digital ground, used as a transfer base or it can create a background for an digitally printed silk organza photo overlay, as in my piece, Layers of Meaning.

‪9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work?‬ I think photography. Photography has spoken to me for decades. When I was able to use my photography to create digital fiber works, my work exploded. Presently, I either manipulate images using a variety of digital tools or create unique substrates to print on or over-lay which influences the final image in a physical way.

‪10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight?‬ A solitary boat slides across a bloom of Queen Ann’s Lace viva a hand created digital photo. The boat is the heart of the piece while the shoots of the flower direct the creative energy beyond and outward.

Artist Profile: Karol Kusmaul

Karol Kusmaul

Inverness, FL

www.kquilt.com

www.clothincommon.com

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table?  Cloth in Common project – nude challenge – customer quilts – writing assignments – Power of Women project – various UFO’s – pins (lots of pins)

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? I’m competitive and impatient.  I love to sing, but not in public!

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? A 12 foot APQS Millennium, 7 carts of fabrics,  and several cases of batting.

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? Launching Cloth in Common last summer!!  We are an international group of eleven fiber artists.  We respond to bimonthly prompts and display our results on a blog at www.clothincommon.com  

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? Each studio visit is unique.  I do verbally thank my machines – Hope and Faith – each time I unplug them for the day.

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you?  The king size quilt I made with fabrics purchased in Paris.  It’s my longarm masterpiece, so far.  We sleep under it in the winter.

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work?  Starting a new collage piece, moving parts around and playing with possibilities.  I also love the moment when all the pins come out, and everything is stitched down!!!

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? All sorts!!!  I use prints from upcycled clothing.  Love to mix multiple patterns!!

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work?  See #8 above.  Also the fact that I draw with my scissors.  I rarely sketch first.  No pattern pieces.  I collage with raw edge prints and hand applique the shapes to a background with a ladder stitch.

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight?  On a fiber artists’ tour of Japan, I came upon this scene on my own during an early morning walk around the neighborhood.  It was thrilling and surreal to me, just to be there.

Artist Profile: Cathie Hoover

Cathie I. Hoover

Modesto, CA. 95356

www.cathiehooverstudios.com

1. What kind of challenges did this theme present for you? Time management was my biggest issue as I am a last minute producer. Our planned trip to Spain for 3 weeks interfered with the deadline; I moved the deadline up and finished early!

2. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Miscellaneous UFOs that had to be put aside while I worked on my Dinner at Eight entry. 

3. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? That as a child I lived in London for 3 1/2 years and Kenitra, Morocco, Africa. It changed how I appreciated our freedoms and governments in the United States. 

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? That moment when I came to realize that my textile work was appreciated by my peers and the public.

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? I really do not think I have any daily rituals, although my husband says that I read the local and national newspapers for two hours each morning. Maybe my ritual is finding out what is going on in the world before I immerse myself in my studios for hours on end. 

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? All four of the quilts I have made for Dinner at Eight special exhibits in Houston I consider to be pivotal pieces. Usually the newest becomes my favorite, but I feel that my TILES quilt was really the best of the four. 

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? Color, appliqué, and perfection - although perfection is the hardest to achieve. 

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? This differs from quilt to quilt depending on the subject matter I am dealing with. 

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? I don’t think is have any personal iconography that is identifiable in my work. I prefer to avoid repeating a style or subject matter. 

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? An Exquisite Moment - a favorite memory. The photo of my sister’s dachshund dressed as a clown for a Halloween parade from a newspaper photo taken in 1997. 

Artist Profile: Kathy York

Kathy York

Austin, TX

www.aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com 

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Pushed to the very edges of my work table is a stack of watercolor paper and Copic markers that I use for playing with designs.

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? This is my fifth career and the only one for which I have had no formal education.  However, I think my previous careers have all helped me to get to this place.  I spent a large chunk of my life with a passion for rockclimbing.  I think the things that I learned there have carried over to my work as an artist, including the willingness to take risks in my work. 

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? My sewing machine sits on my cutting table.  I have a small assortment of tools occupying the space which include: a paintbrush for removing lint from my machine, a small screwdriver, a small pair of scissors, and a small pair of tweezers.  These could easily go inside a little swinging drawer on my sewing machine, but I prefer them out.

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? It is impossible to pick a favorite exquisite moment.  I have been so fortunate to have so many.  The moment when a quilt top is finally finished and seeing an idea come to life, or when the last stitch has gone in to attach a label to the back.  Every single time a quilt has been juried into an exhibit.  Teaching, lecturing, being published, and selling.  Guild meetings and group projects.  Dinners out with friends whom I have met along the way.  It has all been so very good!

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? I like starting my day with a cup of coffee on my front deck with one or more of my cats.

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? Right now I am consumed with a project that I am currently working on involving tiny piecing.  The pieces are 1/4" in size after being sewn together.  It shows a progression of my work regarding urban development but has been brought together in a new way.  I am loving the process!

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? I really like my work to have a high level of craftsmanship.  Sometimes I achieve my goals, and sometimes I do not.  I consider the mistakes part of the process and part of my path to be a lifelong learner.

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? I love patterns in my work as much as I love disrupting the patterns.  If I make a wave pattern, I like the point where the repetition of the pattern gets offset just a bit creating a new shape in the space between the waves.

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? I don't know how to answer this one, but I have been told by multiple people that they can recognize my work even if my style changes. 

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? Going into nature allows me time to reflect on my life and gain perspective.  It is also a time when I can just be in the present and stop thinking.  It is ironic that leaving my studio in this way allows me to come back in to my studio and create.  It was a moment like this that inspired me to make The Heron, the Kayak, and the Grebes.

Artist Profile: Susie Monday

Susie Monday
Pipe Creek, Texas
https://www.susiemonday.com/ 

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Piles of fabric, snippets of threads, iron, T-square, pincushion, scissors, Xacto knife, small cutting mat, scraps of fusible webbing.

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? Part of my process is making up stories about what’s happening with my art and talking back and forth with it.

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? Space. Floor. A lot of snips of thread.

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? Starting. That first big dive into something new.

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? I watch reality TV like Master Chef and Project Runway reruns when I design to keep the inner critic occupied.

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? The next one.

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? Color, shape, symbols, movement.

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? I love to add what I think of as energy and movement with repeated Xs, both large with fabric strips and small with embroidery floss stitches. Dots are important, too, usually when I want to fill some shape or space with the idea of seeds, stars, sounds.

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? Repeated hands, detached heads, shapes traced around my own body, face, hands.

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? Taking one more swipe at Personal iconography using letter forms, enlarged dot patters from newspaper collage, and more of those energy Xs — a riff on two other accepted pieces in Dinner@Eight e habits, this time using a photo detail  of the first quilt, enlarged and altered on my iPad. The journey to this quilt started with a paper collage and traveled a long way.