Artist Profile Series: Valerie White

Valerie White

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Several new bottles of Pro-silk and fabric paint. Having them occupy prime real estate on my work table encourages me begin creating with this new paint. 

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? I would hope they would see my sense of humor. I love making people laugh.  

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? A large Rowenta steam iron.  The placement keeps me moving around the studio, in this way I can get in some exercise. 

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? Creating a quilt to welcome the Obama family to Washington DC. The exhibit opened on the eve of the inauguration in 2008. The city was electric with excitement. The exhibit was held at the National Historical Museum in Washington DC. I was so proud and humbled by the experience.  

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? Usually I start with setting the mood in my space by opening Pandora Radio to the Miles Davis station, I like starting with the song 'Kind of Blue' it gives me a boost of quiet energy while I gather my supplies to begin working. I may change the station but that's where I always start.

  

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? It would have to be “Ohio River Blues Man” A quilt that exhibited in many venues across the United States It was my first serious Art quilt. It was the affirmation I needed to continue working.   

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? Creating compositions using a variety of surface design techniques is pure magic for me. My goal is to choose the most elegant method to express the work. I am drawn to the serendipitous quality of marbling and flour paste resist.  

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? My favorite pattern /mark is a simple dot. The dots add interest and texture and act as the co- stars of the composition. The marks are produced individually by hand.  

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? I have always loved Adrinkra symbols, the symbols represent concepts and century oldaphorisms originating from the Akan people, the dominant ethnic group of present-day Ghana and the Ivory Coast located in West Africa. I often use a figure that resembles a turtle which is the symbol of adaptability.

 10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight?  As I continue to explore and create compositions with root systems the “Best Dinner at Eight exhibit was the perfect opportunity to produce a new work that considers roots that are found in ponds and other bodies of water occupied by fish. The implications for additional work is unlimited.Look for more work with Roots that may shelter a fish or two.