Artist Profile - Susie Monday

Susie Monday
Pipe Creek, Texas

1.   What other ideas for this theme "rituals" did you have?    Since late last summer, I’ve been working on a series that honored the memory of my father, and also was an exploration of grief and mourning -- I  hadn’t really considered another approach to the theme; this piece fit right into the work I was doing.

2.  Are you involved in any community or group projects where you donate your work?  if yes, what project or projects?   I donate work locally to Say Si!, a youth arts organization that sets young artists on the way to professional training and higher education. I also donate a workshop tuition annually to the local Fiber Artists of San Antonio for my retreats at El Cielo Studio.

3.  Do you belong to a small group of like-minded artists?  yes/no  Name/where?  What is the best part of being part of an art group?   Fiber Artists of San Antonio is a diverse and interesting group -- I’m a past president, and don’t participate as much as before, but the exhibits are always high quality, intriguing and challenging! I also am a member of Art Cloth Network, a group of 25 who work in surface design on fabric and meet annually. I love our meetings which take place in a different city all over the country.

4.  Are you a member of a professional art organization, such as SAQA?  Have you ever held a volunteer position in the organization, and if so, what?   I’m a member of both SAQA and SDA. My first work for either (other than donating auction items and participating in exhibits) is to work on tours and pr for next years SDA conference in San Antonio.

5.   What is your favorite palette of colors that you use in your work?  Name 5.  Name 5 of your least favorite colors?   Impossible. I never met a color I didn’t like. BUT Lately my favorites are: navy, orange, red, black and white.

6.   Describe your creative work space in 20 words or less.  Are you messy or tidy?  Fabulous, the studio of my dreams after working for 30 years in a dirt floored garage with no AC! I have a not-very-neat teaching studio, about 1200 square feet including kitchen, bath and big work studio.

7.  What is your creative process?  Think, draw, design, make or right to the design?   Work from the materials, usually the colors with a vague idea of theme, subject or impulse. Audition color and fabrics (from a huge stash of fabrics I’ve made or found). Cut and collage, fuse, quilt.

 8.   Is there a particular object or shape that shows up repeatedly in your work?  Why?  Lots of personal symbols and icons -- hands, spirals, scissors, mermaids, moons, sun. Because they tell stories and I work from narratives.

9.  If you had to choose a favorite artist from another media, who would it be, and why?  Many different artists. Right now I am fascinated with Jenny Holzer’s text installations and, in preparation for a trip to Barcelona, architect and artist Gaudi.

 10.   Have you written a book related to Art Quilts and Quilting or have an instructional DVD?  If so, can you tell us the title or titles? Cloth Paper Scissor DVD workshop, Mixed Media Textile Art, about using water soluble crayons for screen printing.

11.  Do you make art full time?   If you have another career, would you describe what you do? and how you incorporate art into your life?   More or less full time, if you count teaching art and creative process. I work a good amount of time with a program that works with rural Central American teachers as a creative arts and design specialist, and also do consulting work for libraries, museums and other institutions.

12.  What is your most thrilling news to date in relation to your art quilt life? I am really excited about teaching again this year at the International Quilt Festival again, after being away for two years. AND I have just received a commission for a large art quilt piece for a new public library in San Antonio.

http://susiemonday.squarespace.com
http://www.susiemonday.com

Artist Profile: Gayle Simpson

Gayle Simpson

Thousand Oaks, California

1. What other ideas for this theme "rituals" did you have?  My other ideas for Rituals included Yosemite Falls, hiking Point Lobos, my daughter's shoe collection,Sunday newspapers,Thanksgiving dinner, meeting friends for     35 years to exchange handmade ornaments, finding bird nests, water skiing Lake Coeur d' Alene, studying the moon,and pancake eating contests.

2.  Are you involved in any community or group projects where you donate your work?  if yes, what project or projects? I donated 8 Nutcracker banner quilts to Senior Concerns annual tea; post cards for auction to Sisters, OR. and the Wayne Art Center, PA; the SAQA auction again this year; and two entires for the AAQ "Home is Where the Quilt Is" 2012 auction.

3.  Do you belong to a small group of like-minded artists?  yes/no  Name/where?  What is the best part of being part of an art group? I am in Extreme Quilters. We meet in and around Ventura County,CA once a month, with an annual exhibit in October, and in Hawaii too, 2013. The artists in this group are talented and inspiring. I chaired our first show in 2010.

4.  Are you a member of a professional art organization, such as SAQA?  Have you ever held a volunteer position in the organization, and if so, what? In the 1970's I was the professional chair for CAEA. In the 90's I earned signature status in the Gold Coast Watercolor Society. I joined SAQA in 2009.

5.  What is your favorite palette of colors that you use in your work?  Name 5.  Name 5 of your least favorite colors? Favorite colors are complimentary ones; also Payne's gray, sage, lilac, Caribbean blue and spring greens. I steer away from pastels, cream, and colors named Haystack, Reed, Cornbread, Okra and Sharkey Gray.

6.  Describe your creative work space in 20 words or less.  Are you messy or tidy? My creative space is my brain. My production space is parts of three rooms at home, and a large pub table in a cabin. I get tidy, to then be messy.

7.  What is your creative process?  Think, draw, design, make or right to the design?  I take many photographs; think through and sketch the composition; use Canson tracing paper to move things around; lightly acid-free glue small pieces; machine piece when possible, or raw-edge appliqué; then draw, paint and free-motion quilt.

8.   Is there a particular object or shape that shows up repeatedly in your work?  Why? Landscape shapes, human silhouettes, ovals and circles show up in my work. Why? As an artist, I think one is drawn to certain elements often. It is intuitive. But I do love a variety of subject matter, and sometimes hard edges.

9.   If you had to choose a favorite artist from another media, who would it be, and why? From painting, I choose Wayne Thiebaud. From music, I choose Yo Yo Ma. Both men are  talented, honored and devoted to improving the world; and at the same time, very humble. They seem content and happy; my kind of "peeps."

10.  Have you written a book related to Art Quilts and Quilting or have an instructional DVD?  If so, can you tell us the title or titles? I am writing a book called: "Art Quilts: From Moose to Mannequins."

I want to teach people methods of how to  design an art quilt, and the subject matter (besides the title) will also cover landscapes, gourmet food, architecture, hornets' nests, and sundials.

11.  Do you make art full time?   If you have another career, would you describe what you do? and how you incorporate art into your life? I taught in public schools for 19 years. In 2007 I retired, and changed my art  from painting and drawing, to art quilts. Unless a life event interrupts, I am always creating and composing pieces. Sometimes being competitive pushes me to work more intensely; sometimes I just relax and try new things.

12.  What is your most thrilling news to date in relation to your art quilt life? You can read about my hornets' nest quilts in the SAQA Spring/Summer 2012 Journal. And a small mannequin quilt was chosen to be in the permanent collection of the  Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at MSU. 

www.gaylesimpson.com

Artist Profile: Jeannie Palmer Moore

Jeannie Palmer Moore

Escondido, California

1. What other ideas for this theme "rituals" did you have? I had no hesitation when choosing to do "Milo". Every morning my loyal dog Milo retrieves my newspaper and I have always wanted to do a quilt of this ritual.

2.  Are you involved in any community or group projects where you donate your work?  if yes, what project or projects? I was part of a group of artists from Escondido Arts Partnership to paint a paper mural where sections were auctioned off to raise money for student scholarships. I have also donated 2 quilts to the House Quilt Project and SAQA's 12" square auction.

3.  Do you belong to a small group of like-minded artists?  yes/no  Name/where?  What is the best part of being part of an art group? 4 of us have spun-off from a larger watercolor group and we try to meet regularly and share ideas. Two of us have gone into fabric and 2 have stayed with watercolor so we have become a mixed-media group.

4.  Are you a member of a professional art organization, such as SAQA?  Have you ever held a volunteer position in the organization, and if so, what? I belong to SAQA and have volunteered in their booth at Long Beach. I'm also a member of SDA.

5.  What is your favorite palette of colors that you use in your work?  Name 5.  Name 5 of your least favorite colors? Red is my favorite color but I love yellows and blues so I can create any color. Browns and mud are my least favorite.

6.  Describe your creative work space in 20 words or less.  Are you messy or tidy? I have a wet room and dry room but love getting messy and then cleaning up.

7.  What is your creative process?  Think, draw, design, make or right to the design? Ideas come quickly to me so I usually sketch the design first to see if it's possible. I solve the details in my mind throughout the day.

8.   Is there a particular object or shape that shows up repeatedly in your work?  Why? Circles-- regular and irregular-- they make me happy!

9.   If you had to choose a favorite artist from another media, who would it be, and why? Painter Robert Burridge is a favorite of mine--his abstract and realistic paintings excite me. His approach to painting is to give his students "Permission"- that's permission to do anything.

10.  Have you written a book related to Art Quilts and Quilting or have an instructional DVD?  If so, can you tell us the title or titles? My new DVD "Mixed Media Quilt Art"- Creating with Paint, Stitch and Canvas will be available June 2012.

11.  Do you make art full time?   If you have another career, would you describe what you do? and how you incorporate art into your life?  I'm not sure if I classify myself as a part or full-time artist. Creating art is my passion so it's a career and favorite past time.

12.  What is your most thrilling news to date in relation to your art quilt life? Reading my acceptance into SAQA's Seasonal Palette Exhibit to debut in Houston 2012.

JPMArtist.com

    jeanniemooresblog.blogspot.com

Artist Profile: Terry Grant

Terry Grant
Portland, Oregon

1. What other ideas for this theme "rituals" did you have? My morning walk with my friend Beth has become an important ritual and I originally thought I would work with that subject. I was very intrigued with the idea of certain foods as ritual, but nothing really jelled until I began to think about my yearly valentines, which I design and make every year. I have friends who say they have kept every single one I have sent over the years, and I knew this had such a deep importance to me that it was the one. Besides, it offered such great visual opportunities.

2.  Are you involved in any community or group projects where you donate your work?  if yes, what project or projects? I have participated in a variety of online charitable projects, including Virginia Spiegel's Fiberart for a Cause projects.

3.  Do you belong to a small group of like-minded artists?  yes/no  Name/where?  What is the best part of being part of an art group? I belong to an Oregon group of about 20 fiber artists called High Fiber Diet. We meet regularly and exhibit together. It is a challenging and creative group. I am also part of the 12 by 12 online group. It has been immensely satisfying. We have written a book and exhibited all over the world. Here in Portland I am part of a small group of 6 fiber artists called STASH (Second Thursday At Somebody's House). We are great friends who support and cheer one another on. We don't accomplish a great deal but we laugh more than any group I have ever been a part of. I love them all dearly. The good parts of being a group are being accountable, being challenged and sharing information. The BEST part is the friendship.

4.  Are you a member of a professional art organization, such as SAQA?  Have you ever held a volunteer position in the organization, and if so, what? I am a member of SAQA. In Oregon I have volunteered to create books and CDs of our shows.

5.  What is your favorite palette of colors that you use in your work?  Name 5.  Name 5 of your least favorite colors? Reds, oranges, yellow-golds, purples and a dusty grayed turquoise blue-green that works with everything. I have a very hard time using and enjoying pastels, especially baby blue! Out-of-the-box crayon colors are not as interesting to me as those that are a little off the pure hue.

6.  Describe your creative work space in 20 words or less.  Are you messy or tidy? My work space is roomy, well lighted and pretty well organized. When I am working it is a mess. I pile yards and yards of fabric everywhere. When a project is finished it feels great to put everything away and have a tidy space.

7.  What is your creative process?  Think, draw, design, make or right to the design? Think, think think. Then I make a sketch. Depending on the piece it might be quite detailed or just a rough idea. The sketch, in either case, is a guide, but not unchangeable. There is always room for spontaneity.

8.   Is there a particular object or shape that shows up repeatedly in your work?  Why? Birds and hearts. I love both images and find it a challenge to use such cliche images in my own personal way.

9.   If you had to choose a favorite artist from another media, who would it be, and why? Vermeer. His paintings have such a sense of calm and such beautiful, clear light. They always speak of the beauty of everyday life.

10.  Have you written a book related to Art Quilts and Quilting or have an instructional DVD?  If so, can you tell us the title or titles? I am one of the authors of Twelve by Twelve: The International Art Quilt Project book.

11.  Do you make art full time?   If you have another career, would you describe what you do? and how you incorporate art into your life? I am a retired graphic designer. I spend two days each week caring for my incredible grandchildren.  Those are the only two days I am not in my studio.

12.  What is your most thrilling news to date in relation to your art quilt life? The construction of my studio last summer has changed my life and way of working. The peace and beauty of its setting among huge trees, a creek and the gardens my husband creates is inspiring and being able to walk across the yard, leaving laundry, housework, TV and computer behind gives me a creative freedom I have never had since I was in college.

www.andsewitgoes.blogspot.com

Artist Profile: Judy Coates Perez

Judy Coates Perez

Chicago, IL

1. What other ideas for this theme "rituals" did you have? I thought about my father, grandfather, great grandfather and the line goes on… involvement with the Masons which epitomizes ritual in my mind.

2.  Are you involved in any community or group projects where you donate your work?  if yes, what project or projects?  In the past I have donated work to Virginia Spiegals cancer fundraisers, but I do not have that much free time to make work to donate these days.

3.  Do you belong to a small group of like-minded artists?  yes/no  name/where  what is the best part of being part of an art group? I have a group of women friends that began as an art quilt group in Austin, TX, 15 years ago. Over the years several of us have moved to other parts of the country and a few no longer actively make art quilts, but we support each other creatively and emotionally, communicating regularly, and occasionally still create artwork together.

4.  Are you a member of a professional art organization, such as SAQA?  Have you ever held a volunteer position in the organization, and if so, what? I belong to SAQA and PAQA.

5. What is your favorite palette of colors that you use in your work?  name 5 and your least favorite colors?  name 5  I don't have any favorites, in my work I choose colors that are appropriate for what I want to express. 

6.  Describe your creative work space in 20 words or less.  are you messy or tidy? I have two large tables (4'x8' and 5'x8'), flat files, file cabinets and shelving in the main living area of a loft. I’m a piler and it’s definitely messy.

7.  What is your creative process?  think, draw, design, make or right to the desig?  If I am making an illustrative whole cloth painted art quilt then I think about the concept for a long time, sometimes years before designing it. If I am working with mixed media techniques, I work spontaneously and often cathartically, applying media directly to the cloth without a concrete design in mind. All my pieces for the dinner@8 exhibits have been done without a preplanned design.

8.   Is there a particular object or shape that shows up repeatedly in your work?  Why? No, I tend to work conceptually with new themes and ideas and not in a series.

9.   If you had to choose a favorite artist from another media, who would it be, and why? I am drawn to a variety of different artists and designers and would have a hard time ever picking a favorite.

10.  Have you written a book related to Art Quilts and Quilting or have an instructional DVD?  If so, can you tell us the title or titles? I have a DVD called Design, Paint & Stitch Wholecloth Art Quilts from Start to Finish

11.  Do you make art full time?   If you have another career, would you describe what you do? and how you incorporate art into your life? I primarily focus on teaching a variety of painting and mixed media techniques based workshops working with textiles and make art when I can.

12.  What is your most thrilling news to date in relation to your art quilt life? I am making two trips down under next year to teach in Australia and New Zealand. I am thrilled to have opportunities to share my skills and knowledge in exchange for wonderful adventures abroad.

http://judycoatesperez.com

http://paintedthreadsprojects.com

http://www.behance.net/judycoatesperez

Artist Profile: Julie Schlueter

Julie Schlueter
Orange CA
 
1. What other ideas for this theme "rituals" did you have? I had The Kitchen Table theme from the beginning. I was hopeful that I could make an interesting table themed quilt. I think it worked.

2. Are you involved in any community or group projects where you donate your work? if yes, what project or projects?   I usually make one or two quilts a year for small groups that ask.  The House Quilt Project is a recent recipient of two of my art quilts.  They give quilts to Wounded Warrior Battalion and Furnishing Hope.  I have done art quilts for our public library, women’s retreat, softball league, etc.

3. Do you belong to a small group of like-minded artists? yes/no name/where what is the best part of being part of an art group? I am a member of Quilts on the Wall. It is a medium sized group. I like the “power in numbers” aspect of
being in a group.

4. Are you a member of a professional art organization, such as SAQA? Have you ever held a volunteer position in the organization, and if so, what? I am a member of SAQA and enjoy it very much.

5. What is your favorite palette of colors that you use in your work? name 5 and your least favorite colors? name 5.   It seems that I go with a lot of the red, orange, yellow, light green, dark green palette. I haven’t yet met a color I didn’t like.

6. Describe your creative work space in 20 words or less. are you messy or tidy? Small, I get messy for a while then can’t stand it and clean up.

7. What is your creative process? think, draw, design, make or right to the design?   I think I go right to design. Sometimes I draw basic shapes, not too exact. Mostly I keep manipulating the fabric and shapes until I am pleased with the design.

8. Is there a particular object or shape that shows up repeatedly in your work? Why? Rusted fabric and shapes that are roundish.  It’s exciting to me at this time, rusting the fabric and using it.
 
9. If you had to choose a favorite artist from another media, who would it be, and why? I don’t have a favorite, but Vermeer is curiously intoxicating to me.

10. Have you written a book related to Art Quilts and Quilting or have an instructional DVD? If so, can you tell us the title or titles? No, not yet.

11. Do you make art full time? If you have another career, would you describe what you do? and how you incorporate art into your life? I am a court reporter by day. It is not creative in the least, so I am thankful I can unleash my creative
spirit with fabric in my studio.

12. What is your most thrilling news to date in relation to your art quilt life? I love having my work shown in galleries and shows.

fiberdose.blogspot.com

Artist Profile: Susan Brubaker Knapp

Susan Brubaker Knapp

Mooresville, NC

1. What other ideas for this theme "rituals" did you have? I really wanted to do something based on rituals that I shared with my parents, and then passed on to my children. I considered our holiday rituals, but eventually settled on portraying one of the most basic, daily, rituals: the goodnight song.
2.  Are you involved in any community or group projects where you donate your work? I have donated art to the SAQA auction, and last year I donated to the International Quilt Association auction. I am planning to donate work to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative this year. 

3.  Do you belong to a small group of like-minded artists? Yes. I am a member of Fiber Art Options, a group of fiber artists from the Charlotte, NC, area, and the Pandoras, a group of fiber and mixed media artists in my town, Mooresville, NC.  What is the best part of being part of an art group? Friendship, support, the opportunity to exhibit with a group. Plus, these folks are cheerleaders and honest critics… and I need both! 

4.  Are you a member of a professional art organization, such as SAQA?  Have you ever held a volunteer position in the organization, and if so, what? Yes, I am a professional artist member of SAQA. I have not held a volunteer position in the organization, but I did help organize a regional SAQA conference in Charlotte several years ago.

5.  What is your favorite palette of colors that you use in your work?  Lapis, turquoise, emerald, chartreuse, fuschia, amethyst, tangerine. And your least favorite colors?  Okay, that's not fair. That's like asking, "Which of your children do you like best?" I guess if I have to answer, it would be brown, beige, and gray.

6.  Describe your creative work space. Are you messy or tidy? My studio is a 14' square room in my house, outfitted with tables for sewing, cutting/design work, and ironing/fusing. I'm very messy while a piece is in progress, or if I'm in a busy teaching/traveling phase, then fairly neat in between. I try to clean up before I start a big new project.

7.  What is your creative process?  When working from photos, as I usually do, I start by tracing the lines in the photo, and adapting elements as needed. Then I enlarge the line drawing and use it as a pattern. My primary techniques are wholecloth painting and fusible applique. One of my goals is to work more from my own intuition and imagination, and less from reality; I'm trying to develop discipline of working in a sketchbook, so that I can eventually draw what I want to create in fiber.

8.   Is there a particular object or shape that shows up repeatedly in your work? For some reason, I seem to be drawn to butterflies; I have done a lot of pieces based on them. Why? I'm not really sure. Maybe it is the amazing colors. Or perhaps it is something deeper and more symbolic, the suggestion of freedom; joy; and impermanent, fleeting beauty.

9.   If you had to choose a favorite artist from another media, who would it be, and why? Vincent Van Gogh is my favorite visual artist because I have such a visceral reaction to his work – I think it is the clear, saturated color, the movement, and the obvious passion with which he painted. 

10.  Have you written a book related to Art Quilts and Quilting or have an instructional DVD? Yes, my most recent book is "Point, Click, Quilt: Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art" (C&T Publishing, 2011). I have done three DVDs with Interweave/Quilting Arts: "Dynamic Quilt Design: Paint Meets Stitch" (2011), "Master Machine Stitching: Thread Sketching Beyond the Basics" (2010), and "Master Machine Quilting: Free-motion Stitching and Thread Sketching" (2009). 

11.  Do you make art full time? Although I have worked in journalism, graphic design, communications, and public relations, art is my career now. But I can't say that I make art full time. I am a mother to busy 12- and 15-year olds, and I travel a lot to speak and teach. I work on fiber art in between all the stuff in my daily life; I am a big believer in what you can accomplish in 15-minute increments!

12.  What is your most thrilling news to date in relation to your art quilt life? Most recently, I just returned from a fabulous two weeks of teaching in the Netherlands. In July, I'm headed to Johannesburg, South Africa, to teach at the first-ever International Quilt Convention – Africa!

http://www.bluemoonriver.com

http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com