Peggy Calvert - Orange, California

1. How do you describe yourself? Outgoing, curious, fun loving, fast moving, fast thinking, strong.

2. What is your creative process? planning, drawing, notes, etc. I spend a lot of time in the incubation step of the creative process, with ideas and pictures running around in my head. I actually "think" that I spend too much time doing this. I feel better when I can spill my ideas onto paper....I am more of a writer than a draw-er, so many of the pages in my idea book( can't call it a sketch book) have more words than images. The quality of my drawing is roughly 2nd grade!

3. What's your style? Still in development, though I think whimsically pictorial. I enjoy creating characters and images that tell stories.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? It depends on what you call fiber art? If you include embroidery on jeans and off-loom weaving than 40+ years. If you don't, than about 4!

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? Nope! The sound of the sewing machine is the only sound I want. I can get into the zone more quickly if the room is quiet! However when working (playing?) with a group of artists, the chatter and laughter eases the intensity and is very conducive to new images and the ongoing creative process.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? Change my activity, walk, look through magazines and books (not necessarily art related.) Have you ever stood in front of a really good newsstand that has hundreds of magazines and just picked up what looked interesting for a shot of ideas from-some-other-world? Very inspiring!

7. Do you teach? Not art! Still learning.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Sing in a rock band???? Seriously, there are plenty, but I am really interested in getting better at the simple stuff. I love hand dyed fabric, painted surfaces, but that is so much more stuff to buy/store/use....too overwhelming for me.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? Being single this is fairly simple. It is my cat demanding dinner not a crowd! The hard part for me is balancing time for art/swimming/reading/gardening/and oh yes, sleeping! Not to mention the 40 hours I spend so I can support my habits!

10. What is the best part about what you do? The great people I meet and the beautiful art and traditional quilts I see. I love sharing a small part of the success of other artists. The stories are the best part. The why, the how, the dream, the design, the leap over the hurdle, the frustrations and the amazing joy of publication, purchase or awards and the compliments of others who appreciate our work.

http://quiltpoetearthandsky.blogspot.com/

Linda Teddlie Minton - San Antonio, TX

1. How do you describe yourself? I usually just call myself an artist. If asked, I will specify “fiber art”, which can then be further explained as “art quilter”.

2. What is your creative process? Although I always have an end product in mind, I rarely plan or draw out the entire piece or agonize over the process. It seems to happen organically as I work. This is the magic of art, for me. It truly seems to come from somewhere outside myself, and that’s the most mysterious part.

3. What's your style? I’ve experimented with lots of styles. I tend to steer away from pictorial, preferring to put my own twist on realism, whether by abstracting shapes or by distorting color and light. Thread painting on a wholecloth quilt base is also very exciting to me, as is creating my own fabrics by dyeing, painting, screen printing, and other surface design techniques. Digital manipulation has become a recent passion. Texture, whether visual or actual, is very important in my work, and I often inject humor or a literary reference, which may sometimes be obvious only to myself.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? Like many other fiber artists, I started out as a traditional quilter. I think I morphed into a fiber artist fairly quickly, but it’s probably been about 10 years.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I did, until I lost the hearing in one ear a couple of years ago. Since then, it tends to irritate me rather than inspire me, so I generally work in silence. I miss working to music, as I used to love classic ‘80’s rock and roll.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I don’t think I’ve ever been creatively blocked. My main problem always seems to be deciding which project to work on next. Maybe that’s why I often end up literally mixing different media in a single piece … I want to do it all! It may be the reason that I also tend to work in other media besides fiber. Beading, assemblage, doll-making and bookbinding are always there if I feel the urge to break away and do something different.

7. Do you teach? Not formally, although I’ve always thought I’d like to give it a whirl. I love interacting with other artists, and being a “perpetual student” myself, I think it would be fun.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? I’d like to take some drawing and painting classes, as I’m strictly self-taught in those areas.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? Since I’m a widow, you’d think that this would be easy! But somehow I still struggle to find time for my art. I’m in awe of young mothers, for example, who manage to do both. Since I’ve recently moved and consolidated my studio, I’m hoping to concentrate more on my art now.

10. What is the best part about what you do? This was the hardest question of all to answer! I can’t think of any part that I don’t love. The mental exercise of settling on a theme, researching literary references that I might use as inspiration, learning a new technique and then taking the leap of faith to use it in an actual art quilt, problem solving, the thrill as it all starts to come together … even deciding on a title is fun. I guess I have to say the best part is the exhilaration of creating something that never existed before I thought of it!

http://fiberreflections.blogspot.com/

Cynthia St. Charles - Billings, Montana

1. How do you describe yourself? Textile Artist

2. What is your creative process? My ideas usually come to me fully formed as a mental visual image. I often need to do a significant amount of research to confirm the accuracy (or believability) of my imagery. Generally, I will do a rough sketch, including a color plan, which I refer to when I am creating my fabrics.

3. What's your style? I have been told my style is Expressive. Bold simplified imagery, sometimes primitive, gestural and intuitive. I have long focused on surface design techniques and enjoy working in whole cloth. My preferred approach involves planning out an entire piece and creating it using dyes, paints, resist, and printing. Finally, the quilting is added and often my work includes embellishments of glass beads, stone chips, or something I have created from polymer clay.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I have worked as a quilt / textile artist since 2002. By 2004, I was able to walk away from a stressful career as a School Psychologist to work full time as a studio artist.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I enjoy listening to National Public Radio during my studio time. I also really enjoy authentic blues, rock and even some of the alternative rock I've been exposed to through my young adult children. I also really love opening the window and just listening to the birds!

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I find changing mediums is one thing that really helps get the creative flow going. I think I am happiest when I am exploring and discovering. So, switching to paper or metal or watercolors, or visual journaling help unlock the block.

7. Do you teach? I rarely teach any more. I was a classroom teacher and college professor for over 20 years. I consider myself retired from teaching. I will teach an occasional technique workshop when it works out, but I am not actively pursuing the teaching aspect of textile art. That said, when I do teach - I consider my role that of an artistic facilitator. I strive to create an environment that facilitates discovery and exploration for my workshop participants.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? I have been working hard the past 2 years to create a solid body of work in order to solicit a solo show somewhere. I have a couple of loyal galleries in the region, but I would love to add one on each U.S. coast.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? My studio is in my home so it is just a matter of commuting down the stairs to go to work. This makes it easy to integrate daily studio work into my everyday life. I usually begin my day in my studio with a cup of tea and some quiet time with my visual journal. Surface design work frequently requires a significant amount of time waiting for fabrics to batch, dry, or wash out. This process allows me to transition easily and quickly from studio to home and family on the spur of the moment.

10. What is the best part about what you do? I have always wanted to be an artist. I never dreamed it would be possible for me to devote so much of my time and energy to creative endeavors. After working so many years in a super high stress profession, I cherish the opportunity to be my own boss, set my own pace, and release so much of the turmoil I dealt with in my former profession.

http://www.cynthiastcharles.com/
http://cynthia-stcharles.blogspot.com/

Sherry Kleinman - Pacific Palisades, CA

1. How do you describe yourself? I am a person who has always loved all kinds of art, but I really have found my passion in mixed media fiber art. Once I discovered that I could combine my fine art with quilting, I have not looked back!

2. What is your creative process? The spark in my creative process usually begins with a drawing, a photograph, or an idea (sometimes a dream) that is a springboard to what will eventually follow. I do not do journaling work on a regular basis, but do make sketches of my ideas. I also like the serendipity of the process, not completely planning it all out ahead of time, letting the piece “talk” to me as I go along.

3. What's your style? Most of my work has a pictorial and realistic base to it. Currently, I like to work with a whole cloth base for my work, approaching it as I would in the fine art world of painting and drawing. Using a variety of surface design approaches (pencil, paint, crayon, mixed media collage, appliqué, fusing) I create my imagery on untreated painter’s canvas. I like the weight and texture of the canvas as a base for my work.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I made my first art quilt in 2005, after a 20 year plus hibernation from making traditional quilts. My journey of the past 5 years has been a glorious one, having the passion and time to pursue my artistic voice.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I like music but it has never been a muse to me. I like to listen to audio books while working on my art. Having been a multi-tasking kind of person, it works great as I have no time to read as I am in my studio so much.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I feel like there are a thousand things I want to do, so it is not hard starting, just making choices of what comes first and finding enough time to execute my vision! If I get stuck while working on a project, I walk away and come back with a fresh eye, either overnight or months later. I work best, working on more than one piece at a time. So if I am blocked, I put it up on the design wall and move on to another piece. At some point the “answer” always seems to come to me………..

7. Do you teach? No. Since I am a latecomer to the party (of art quilts), I have focused on taking classes, trying to catch up for lost time. I have loved the education I have given myself, learning from many of the best teachers around. I really appreciate the mentorship and encouragement they have given me.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Yes, I love to push and challenge myself trying new techniques, varying my approaches to my art. Who knows where that will take me?

9. How do you balance your family life and art? I have to admit that my delay in my fiber art career was slowed by my full time motherhood to three daughters. No regrets there. I raised three strong women who are all artists as well, integrating their own talents into their careers. Now with a retired (but active and understanding) husband, I have the time and joy to pursue my art.

10. What is the best part about what you do? Everything! I feel very lucky to be able to explore my creative voice and meet others who share my passion.

http:/www.sherrykleinman.com/

Ann Turley - Walnut, CA

1. How do you describe yourself? Fiber Artist would fairly describe me.

2. What is your creative process? planning, drawing, notes, etc. A little of all of that. When working with a theme I will often list everything that comes to mind, knowing that one of the phrases I have written will materialize into a quilt. Oh, and doodling helps a lot in the process as well.

3. What's your style? My style is whimsical, often abstract, sometimes pictorial, and almost always incorporates surface design.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I began sewing at a very young age, probably 5 or 6. My mother dreamed of being a fashion designer and encouraged me to express myself in fabric and style. We both began to quilt in the early 1990's, but I quickly felt restricted by traditional patterns. It was way more fun to do my own thing!

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? Sometimes yes, sometimes no - it depends on my current project. Anything from the sixties makes me very happy.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? To get out of that funk I will switch to another creative outlet such as watercolor or photography. Often by looking at the world through a different pair of glasses I can spark an idea for my fiber art.

7. Do you teach? Yes, I do teach for guilds all over California. What makes me smile is when a student "gets it". I call that the light bulb moment.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? There are so many new and different things that I have yet to try that it is hard to name just one.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? It has become much easier to do this now that I have retired and the kids are grown and gone. My husband is very supportive and understands me, even when my muse strikes after I'm supposed to be asleep, forcing me to get up and go back to the studio!

10. What is the best part about what you do? I love the creative process - developing the idea into an image, then translating it into fabrics, texture and embellishment.

http://mysite.verizon.net/resw2sjh/annturley/

Rachel Parris - Birmingham, Alabama

1. How do you describe yourself? I am an observer, a seeker, and a creator. I am still evolving. At this stage in my life I feel that I am truly living the dream...most days.

2. What is your creative process? I think my creative process is mostly internal. I get an idea pictured in my head. Since my ideas generally exceed my technical skills, I then do a lot of thinking about how to bring it to life. I can still get easily sabotaged by the basics.

3. What's your style? Wow! It is hard to think of myself as having a style. I tend to be a story teller. So I think my style at this stage of the game is mostly whole cloth pictorial. I really enjoy working with digital images on fabric.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? Almost four years.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I am quite comfortable with silence, so, I do not always listen to music when I work. But when I do, it is usually meditative or jazz or country.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I get outside, read my favorite blogs, read books by good teachers, or just leave it alone for a while.

7. Do you teach? I do not teach. I student.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Tons. I want to do all sorts of surface design, portrait quilts,etc.,etc.I want to learn to draw.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? Whichever one needs the most attention at the moment gets it. But if it is a toss-up, the family side of the coin wins.

10. What is the best part about what you do? Meeting wonderful people. Growing, growing, growing.

http://rachelparris.blogspot.com/

Joanell Connolly - Huntington Beach, CA

1. How do you describe yourself? Artist working in fabric

2. What is your creative process? Creative process. Usually starts with a piece of fabric or a color combination. I never draw out the design but often will start with a sketch or mini collage - and work from there.

3. What's your style? Abstract, even when I am working with a photo as the center piece. Surface design techniques and words have been part of my work for more than 20 years.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I did my first Art in the Park show in '88, working with hand painted silk and paper earrings. (paper is fiber just not fabric). I was a wearable artist for years, am/was as Fairfield and Bernina fashion show designer. The transition to quilts just sort of happened. I burned out making and selling clothing - Quilts just evolved.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? what kind? I usually work in silence. Sometimes in the afternoon I turn on CSI or one of the many police reruns. Background noise without much plot.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? Doesn't happen often but if it peeks in, I go do other stuff. Somethings cannot be forced.

7. Do you teach? Wish I felt more comfortable teaching.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Don't know. I am waiting for my next big direction to present itself. So far, these passions have just appeared.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? I have always had a very supported husband - so balancing has not been an issue - except sometimes in my head.

10. What is the best part about what you do? The best part of doing what I do is the privilege of being able to do it. The hardest part is remembering what a privilege it is.

www.joanell.com
http://joanellconnolly.blogspot.com/