Artist Profile: Terry Waldron

Terry Waldron
Anaheim, California www.terrywaldron.com
www.terrywaldron.com
www.motelymassofmusings.com

1. Describe your signature style in 5 words: fanciful, free, focused, upbeat, personal

2. Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it? I love to draw. Drawing focuses my looking, and most of all, forces me to eliminate what's not necessary, and get to the heart of the matter more quickly. 

3. What's coming up for you in your artistic world? Lots and lots of teaching and speaking at major venues, some even back-to-back. Lots of traveling… I'm even more judging now for quilt guilds and county fairs, too.

4. Do you have any studio rituals? They are secret!

5. Who has inspired you on your artistic journey? Joan Colvin was instrumental in helping me focus on Nature, my favorite inspirer. Without her early presence in my art quilt life, I would have given up this thing called quilting in a year and a half after beginning it.

6. What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without? My 8-foot-high design board, my fabric from Ghana, my hand-sewing caddy stuffed with my straw needles and every color of thread, my trusty scissors, and my comfy floor to sit on.

7. What is on your design table right now? Sadly, the beginnings of my best idea for a piece ever… but that hasn't been touched for too long.

8. How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc? I gave up on that a looong ago. One of the three always takes over for a while, and finally gives way to another… and so I'm always out of balance!

9. Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)? I have several large woven African baskets that don't seem to be pulling their weigh in my studio, but I sure love looking at them!

10. What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections? My biggest challenge was deciding if the foreground ought to be a reflecting lake or a rain-weary, muddy road. The muddy road with standing water reflecting the sunset won out.

Artist Profile: Jane Davila

Jane Davila Ridgefield CT www.janedavila.com

1.  Describe your signature style in 5 words:  graphic, stylized, linear, organic, simple
 2.  Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it? I started out as a printmaker and often returned to printmaking or incorporate the techniques into my fiber and mixed media work. I adore the process of printmaking, the layering of plates of color, the way it shows the hand of the artist, and the ability to make multiples or variations. I also create digital collages and have begun to use these in my work.
 3.  What's coming up for you in your artistic world? A new book is underway! Plus I'm working on a line of large-scale, hand-printed textiles to be used for home dec applications. And I'm developing the prototypes for a furniture line I've had in my head for years - small occasional tables with a modern ethnic inspiration.
 4.  Do you have any studio rituals? I love listening to the Worldbeat channel on Pandora. I try to leave one table cleared off and ready for action for the next time I'm there so I don't fall into my bad habit of "procrasti-cleaning".
5.  Who has inspired you on your artistic journey? My father-in-law, Alberto Davila, was a big influence on me. He was a well-known abstract expressionist in Peru and he shared a lot about his work ethic and how to comport oneself as a professional artist, all of which made a lasting impression on me as a young artist. He went to his studio 7 days a week. I remember asking him what happens when he gets there if he doesn't feel like painting. He replied that this was his job and it was his responsibility to take himself and what he does seriously so that other people would. Showing up every day was a big part of that. If he didn't feel like painting there were always a lot of other tasks to do - stretching canvas, taking photos, cleaning brushes, etc. "Showing up to do the work" became my mantra.
6.  What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without? Music, icy cold water, gel medium, light, paper towels
 7.  What is on your design table right now?  A ton of kits for the Create Mixed Media retreat in Chicago. And a lot of sketches for new fabric designs.
 8.  How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc?  Not well! I don't sleep much and I always feel behind. I need one day a week that no one else knows about, haha!  Being a freelance artist/author/editor/designer means that I'm always working on multiple projects with multiple deadlines. I love what I do and wouldn't trade any of it but it would be great to have a true day off once in a while or to feel partially caught up on everything.
 9.  Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)? Daisy, my Norfolk terrier rescue dog, is my studio buddy. She has a big comfortable bed in one corner and a few toys that we toss around when I need a break. She's very supportive of my work and is a good listener. :)
10.  What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections? I worked with a cotton voile as the background for the first time. It was a bit of a challenge to paint the background ombre to match what I saw in my head and I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.

Artist Profile: Sherri Lipman McCauley

Sherri Lipman McCauley
Lakeway, Texas
www.SherriLipmanMcCauley.blogspot.com

1. Describe your signature style in 5 words: abstract, geometric, asymmetric, serendipitous, and extemporaneous.

2. Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it? I sometimes work in collage on mounted canvases. I enjoy working on a smaller scale and the flexibility of using found objects and paint.

3. What's coming up for you in your artistic world? I am currently co-curating two shows for the fiber group I belong to - Austin Fiber Artists. One will be hanging in the Austin Bergstrom International Airport from July-October 2014. The second is a show for the Texas Federation of Fiber Artists within the Austin Area Quilt Guild Show in September 2014.Additionally, I recently completed a 2 1⁄2 year Art Mastery program with Jane Dunnewold, and our class show will be part of the Houston IQA Show in the fall of 2014.

4. Do you have any studio rituals? It seems like before I get started, I always need to clear off a space to work on. De-clutter should be my mantra. And then, music gets turned on (Suzanne Vega, Carly Simon or Carole King), and the fun begins!

5. Who has inspired you on your artistic journey? Jane Dunnewold, Kerr Grabowski, and Sherill Kahn.

6. What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without? Music, a cutting mat, a rotary cutter, paint, and a great view out my window (my studio overlooks Lake Travis).

7. What is on your design table right now? An abstract piece I have entered in a juried show for Austin Fiber Artists and patterns to make a funky dress for my daughter.

8. How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc.? With coffee.

9. Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)? My mini-dachshunds - Vienna and Cinnamon - like to keep tabs on me while working in the studio.

10. What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections?  Coming up with a design that embraced the topic was my biggest challenge. I had a number of ideas, but none of them seemed to capture the sentimental mood of Reflections. After a visit to my aging parents, I came up with the final idea for my entry. I began to think about the age of my parents, reflecting on the ages of my daughters, now in college, and I realized that there is joy on both sides of the continuum of time - in memories and thoughts of the future. My dad passed away after submitting my entry, so it is a bittersweet memory to have my quilt accepted.

Artist Profile: Larkin Jean Van Horn

Larkin Jean Van Horn

Whidbey Island, Washington

http://www.larkinart.com

1.  Describe your signature style in 5 words:  abstract, richly colored, spiritually symbolic

2.  Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it?  Beadwork on fabric, either as details on a larger piece, or a fully encrusted work.  Perhaps, as my husband likes to say, I am part raven and attracted to bright, shiny things.  But I also love the texture that beads provide.  Beading is meditative work, and cannot be rushed.

3.  What's coming up for you in your artistic world?  Two solo exhibitions:  one at the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center in Tillamook, OR in September 2014, and the other at the LaConner Quilt and Textile Museum in LaConner, WA in January 2015.

4.  Do you have any studio rituals?  Yes - Clean up yesterday's mess before starting today's work.  The sorting, folding, and moving around of my materials allows me a pause to reflect before beginning the day's work.

5.  Who has inspired you on your artistic journey?  My three muses:  my Grandmother Grace and her sisters, Helen and Nonie.  They are all departed now, but each in her own way encouraged me when no one else did.

6.  What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without?  Fabric, threads, beads, needles, scissors.

7.  What is on your design table right now?  My entry for the Sacred Threads exhibit.

8.  How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc?  Gently.  I take my art making seriously, but the care of family and friends is just as important.

9.  Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)?  Music.

10.  What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections?  My work tends to be small and intimate, so the size requirement is a big challenge for me.

Artist Profile: Sherry Kleinman

Sherry Davis Kleinman

Pacific Palisades, CA

www.sherrykleinman.com

1.  Describe your signature style in 5 words:  figurative, realistic, narrative, painted, drawn

2.  Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it?  I have tried many arts and crafts over my lifetime.  I work weekly in a mixed media figurative workshop.  I love translating the human form.  Faces have fascinated me since I was a child.  I love the challenge of "seeing" what  is in front of me and interpreting it.  Working with textiles combined with drawing and painting has provided me my most inspirational moments.  

 

3.  What's coming up for you in your artistic world? I am in the "pondering and planning" stages right now for a large piece due for an invitational exhibit early next year.  I have work currently traveling with SAQA traveling Exhibits:  Text Messages, Color Wheel of Emotions, and People and Portraits (I am a featured artist in Martha Sielman's book of the same name).

 

4.  Do you have any studio rituals?  I work on more than one project at a time (some times 3 or 4!)  Moving from one piece in progress to the other keeps my mind open and creative.  I can return refreshed to a project that I may have been stuck on, seeing it in a new light.

5.  Who has inspired you on your artistic journey?  My long time fine art drawing and painting teacher David Limrite.  He is a master teacher who encourages me to explore, see, and create in new ways that challenge me to grow as an artist.

6.  What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without?  Sewing machine, textiles, computer and iPad, threads, and books.  Hard to limit answer to 5, as I could go on and on.

 

7.  What is on your design table right now?  As a new grandmother to a 7 month old granddaughter and a 5 month old grandson, my recent passions have involved making baby things.  (Lucky me!)  Currently next to an unfinished teddy bear are sketches of figures painted on canvas.  The figures are waiting on design wall for my inspiration to tell a story with them. 

8.  How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc?  With a retired husband who adores golf and tennis and 3 adult daughters, (married and with families of their own), I am pretty much in my studio most of the time.  Even with new babysitting duties I am constantly thinking of what I can create next.

9.  Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)?  My big black shaggy dog Mac (imagine a large body/short legs like a Bassett Hound) sleeps by my side when I am at my sewing machine or computer.  He is a very patient and non critical companion. 

 

10.  What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections?  I chose to do more hand stitching than machine stitching; creating a perfect way to "reflect" and slow down as I worked.  Unfortunately some of my body parts (elbow and hand) objected to the hours of stitching!

Artist Profile: Desiree Habicht

Desiree Habicht
Riverside, CA
http:myclothesline.blogspot.com   website:www.desireesdesigns.com

1.  Describe your signature style in 5 words: contemporary realism with a twist

2.  Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it? Yes, I work in watercolor and pastel. I love the ability to create beautiful things with shapes, color and value

3.  What's coming up for you in your artistic world? I am working on some new pieces and I will be teaching at the San Diego Quilt Show this year.

4.  Do you have any studio rituals? I have my goals, ideas written on a giant sticky note on my wall which I review and add too everyday..

5.  Who has inspired you on your artistic journey? Carol Taylor, Velda Newman are just a few

6.  What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without? My iron, design wall, My Truecut rotary cutter and ruler, paints - Oh I have more!

7.  What is on your design table right now? A new quilt pattern I am working on for Houston

8.  How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc?  I am scheduling my work week so that I have time in the studio, days that I am working on the business side and I still have time for enjoying time with my family

9.  Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)? My daughter Jennifer and her dog Chloe are my studio companions. When I am sitting doing quilting or piecing she and Chloe come in and we watch movies together, well they watch and I listen!

10.  What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections? The biggest Challenge was creating and developing the quilt so that it told the story I wanted to tell. I required using photoshop, digital manipulation, photo transfer and then adding the applique and paints to get that look I wanted.

Artist Profile: Susan Fletcher King

Susan Fletcher King
Houston, Texas
http://www.susanfletcherking.com/ 

1. Describe your signature style in 5 words:  Illustrative, Graphic, Asian Influences, Nature

2. Do you ever work in another medium and, if so, what is it and what appeals to you about it?  Yes, as a graphic designer and illustrator, I worked with a lot of other media such as pen and ink, various paints and some forms of printing like silkscreen.  I am coming back around to these various applications and enjoy mixing them in with the art quilting.  The other media are useful to enhance or alter the purely textile approach which I had originally done when I began my art quilting journey.

3. What's coming up for you in your artistic world?  I will have a piece that is going to show in the Craft Texas Biennial this year at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Also one or two pieces will be included in The World of Beauty at the International Quilt Festival.  I am also beginning to branch out and do some lectures and teaching mostly in the Houston area since I am still tethered to the home with my husband and son.

4. Do you have any studio rituals?  A good studio cleaning after a project is completed so that I can start off with (literally) a clean slate for the next project.

5. Who has inspired you on your artistic journey? My own childhood and my mother surprisingly!  I find myself working on an idea for a piece and will often realize that it is from some deep memory of my childhood experiences.  My mother was always bringing bits of nature ( bird’s nests, an interesting stone, a lizard or bee) to my attention and even into the house.

6. What are the 5 essential things in your studio that you cannot live without?  Good outdoor lighting – one whole wall of my studio is windows, my Bernina sewing machine, air-conditioning!!!, design wall and music.

7. What is on your design table right now? A variety of aluminum cans for a new experiment.

8. How do you juggle your artistic life, family, friends, etc? Family will always be first and then comes my art along with my friends.  A lot of my friends overlap into my art world.

9. Do you have any studio companions (human or otherwise)?  No – in fact I am thankful that I have a good door to close my studio so my 2 cats stay out.  There’s enough fur flying in the house without their added bits in the studio.

10. What was the biggest challenge in creating your piece for Reflections?  I always try and set some new goal in each piece I work on, so this time it was experimenting with different paints and trying to do more of a 3-D construct.