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.