Karen Rips - Thousand Oaks, California

1. How do you describe yourself? I would describe myself as an artist who like to work with fabric. I am also a wife. mother, soon to be grandmother, and retired nurse.

2. What is your creative process? My creative process varies. Sometimes I just start throwing things on my design wall with no end in sight, but lately I've started with an idea from photos I've taken, and events happening in my life.

3. What's your style? My style is usually abstract with fabric I've created myself through surface design.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I have been a quilt maker for 30 years, with emphasis on fiber art for the last 7 or 8 years.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I like to listen to music when I'm working, I usually set my Ipod to random, but occasionally I know I'll be energized by Los Lonely Boys, or soothed by Annie Lennox

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? When I'm feeling blocked, I get out my scrapbook, where I've cut out pictures of things I like, and jotted down notes of something I want to pursue. Sometimes I do design exercises, such as tracing a picture, then taking out lines in subsequent drawings until I'm down to 4 or 5 lines.

7. Do you teach? I don't teach and I'm not sure I would have the patience for it.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? I hope I always have artistic endeavors. I don't think I've even scratched the surface yet and I hope I never catch up to what I want to do.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? My husband and I are both retired with no kids at home (knock on wood!), so I have lots of time to pursue my interests.

10. What is the best part about what you do? The best part is when what I create is even better than I had imagined, which rarely happens, but is gratifying when it does.
blog address is http://www.fiberartmusings.blogspot.com/
my 12 x 12 is http://www.twelveby12.blogspot.com/

Cindy Cooksey - Irvine, California

1. How do you describe yourself? I'm an artist, but I like to do crafts, too.

2. What is your creative process? I try to keep a messy journal of notes and sketches. I say messy because it makes me feel less inhibited.

3. What's your style? My style is eclectic and evolving. I often like to incorporate some whimsy or humor in my work.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? Since 1989, if you count the cheater cloth Hawaiian pillow that was the first thing I quilted.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? Sometimes. I like a variety of styles: world beat, classical, alternative, and 60's classics like James Taylor and Joni Mitchell.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I take a walk. If I'm really blocked, I just live my life and eventually some idea pops up.

7. Do you teach? I have done a bit of teaching and would like to do more. I'm a little scared to take the next step.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? I think so.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? It's easier now that my children are grown.

10. What is the best part about what you do? I especially love the aha moment when I come up with a new idea. I love the process, too, and the people that I have met. It's all good.

http://www.cindycooksey.com

http://www.cookseyville.blogspot.com/

Jane Davila - Ridgefield, Connecticut

1. How do you describe yourself? An artist, an author, a teacher and a mixer of media. I also see myself as a perpetual student, endlessly curious and anxious to learn more about everything, especially anything to do with art, history and science.

2. What is your creative process? I carry a small Moleskin journal around with me and doodle constantly. I love to play word association games with myself when I'm brainstorming a new series. Often I start with the words in the lyrics of songs or in poems and see where they lead me. When I start a new piece I often begin with a loose small-scale cartoon but often deviate from it as I transition into fabric. I work with mostly commercial fabrics but also include some of my own hand painted and hand printed fabrics. Found objects, especially paper objects very often find their way into my work.

3. What's your style? I see my work mostly as abstracted landscapes with representational subjects, rendered as fabric/paper collage.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I started as a printmaker in my late teens back in the early 80s and worked as one for over 10 years before learning to quilt. I mostly made traditional and contemporary quilts at first and began making art quilts in 2002.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? A really eclectic mix! Huayńo from Peru and Ecuador (traditional Andean flute music), happy 60s pop, reggaetón & salsatón, indie rock from the US and Europe, Latin American pop, alternative country and tejano, and St Louis blues.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I usually do something completely different, but still creative. I'll take a dance class (usually either tap, modern or jazz), I'll try a new medium (encaustics helped the last time I was stuck), or I'll clean my studio. Somehow having a fresh, clean, organized space helps.

7. Do you teach? I do teach and love it. My favorite parts are gently pushing my students to try something outside of their comfort zones and encouraging them to feel confident in their abilities.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? I've been intrigued with the idea of working in metal lately. I'm feeling a need to own a soldering iron and wondering how I can combine fiber, paper, found objects and metal together in assemblages.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? It can be tough. When my daughter was little I would work on my art very early in the morning (6-7 AM) and late at night (10-12 PM) each day. On weekends she would often join me in the studio. Now that she's on her own and I'm back to being a full-time self-employed artist I find it harder to schedule regular time in the studio. My husband is also an artist and has his own studio, so we're often each at work in our respective spaces. We try to have a date night once every two weeks and go on art dates at least once a month. Living with another artist means that I don't need to explain that the muse is calling at 2 AM or that I'm in the zone and absolutely have to work through dinner.

10. What is the best part about what you do? Wow, so many things!! Getting to express myself visually as an artist. Experimenting and playing and stretching and pushing myself in my studio. Encouraging and mentoring my students. Meeting fantastic, enthusiastic people all over the world. Sharing what I know through books and magazines. Gaining a sense of community in real life and online with other artists in every medium everywhere.

http://www.janedavila.com
http://janedavila.blogspot.com

Deborah Boschert - Lewisville, Texas

1. How do you describe yourself? Mom, wife, artist, coffee drinker, crossword puzzle lover

2. What is your creative process? I usually make a list of elements and ideas I want to include in a particular piece of art. Then I go about designing a composition that will accommodate all the things on my list. The design process starts with auditioning several pieces of fabric, adding surface design where needed, stacking pieces in various arrangements and eventually, fusing, embellishing, quilting and finishing.

3. What's your style? I create fabric collages. Most of my recent work incorporates surface design, hand embroidery, sheer layers and recycled textiles. Several motifs turn up again and again: leaves, stones, hillsides, houses, shrines and grids.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I made a queen size quilt from an Eleanor Burns "Quilt In A Day" pattern in about 1994. I choose the puffiest batting I could find thinking I would have no trouble quilting it on my Kenmore machine. When I failed, my mother volunteered to hand quilt it for me. I've grown, changed and developed my own personal style since then, and my mom is still a wonderful support!

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I listen to podcasts. I especially love podcasts about interesting people living creative lives. This American Life, Studio 360 and Radio Lab are some of my favorites. (I have some guilty pleasure podcasts too. I'll keep those to myself.)

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? As Dory says in the movie Finding Nemo, "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..."

7. Do you teach? I do teach. I love leading creative people through a day of new ideas, refreshing exploration and enthusiastic support.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? So many!

9. How do you balance your family life and art? In the spring of 2009, I made a commitment to create a small art quilt from start to finish every day for 40 days. One of the things I learned from that experience is that time becomes available if I really prioritize my day. Of course, some days are better than others. (Some years are better than others!) I am also so very thankful that my husband and my kids appreciate and support my art life.

10. What is the best part about what you do? It's all good... but lately I've been entranced by the joy and serenity I feel with each stitch of hand embroidery. Up and down, snapping through layers of cloth, creating little shapes and enhancing texture.

www.DeborahsStudio.com
http://DeborahsJournal.blogspot.com
Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=28957

Pamela Price Klebaum - Ventura, California

1. How do you describe yourself? I think of myself as someone who is also smashed about drawing and painting with textiles and fused glass. Writing has always been a part of my core. So either I'm a multi-tasker, or indecisive.

2. What is your creative process? My mind is most creative during two (hopefully) daily activities: bathing and running. New ideas pop out, and, most astounding, solutions to problems appear with no prompts. It feels magical and wildly stimulating.

3. What's your style? I am enamored with digital imaging and love to work with Photoshop and Digital Painter. My work is usually representational, but I am testing the abstract waters at present and finding them quite soothing. Currently I am exploring the relationship between the female figure and architectural form -- so that blends both representational and abstract.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? 30 years, and the last five in art quilting.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? No, I record quasi-medium-level-pop-

culture- television and have it on in the background. I readily cop to this. However, I do not watch anything on MTV (no Jersey Shore). Oh, and the Food Network.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? Take a bath and go for a run. Or the reverse.

7. Do you teach? I taught a few Composition (for art quilters) classes this year at the same time I was easing out of my regular college teaching. Favorite part? Students = stimulating.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Oh my, yes! Working extra large, for one.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? My husband loves what I do, so it is not a problem!

10. What is the best part about what you do? I have a core of friends whom I met through art quilting. They are precious to me. That's the best part.

http://pamprice.blogspot.com

Karen Stiehl Osborn - Omaha, Nebraska

1. How do you describe yourself? I’m an artist, lucky enough to work in multiple mediums.

2. What is your creative process? Generally, my topic is something that has emotionally impacted me. It could have started with a photograph I took, or an experience I had. My first step is to loosely write down my thoughts, kind of an initial artist statement. This statement helps to keep me focused on my goal for the work. Once that is down on paper, and I have a general idea of the design of the work, I start painting cloth and/or paper for it. Then it is a matter of cutting and piecing it together on the design wall until I am satisfied with the base layer. After the base layer, I go back in and add more layers of materials and more paint until it is finished.

3. What's your style? Abstract. I am never happy when I try to create something figurative, so I have given it up. I love that abstract pieces can incorporate so much personal meaning, yet leave so much open to interpretation by the viewer.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I learned to quilt about 20 years ago, but I became a full-time artist in 2004.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? No. I love jazz music, but when I am creating, I want silence.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I take my camera and head out to one of my favorite haunts. A few hours of photographing nature or urban deterioration, and I am ready to work in the studio again with a fresh perspective. Sometimes, all that is needed is to switch to a different medium. There are so many options and choices that I rarely feel blocked creatively.

7. Do you teach? Not any more. I have gotten stingy with my time, and I want to spend it all on my own creative pursuits.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Weaving. A couple of years ago, I learned paper making and bookbinding. I have enjoyed being able to incorporate both of those processes into my newer work. Now I’d like to learn weaving.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? I am lucky to have a very understanding and supportive husband. He readily pitches in when I am busy in the studio.

10. What is the best part about what you do? Being able to start each day in my studio, doing whatever I want. I feel lucky and blessed, and I am thankful every day that this is my life. When someone connects with my artwork, that is a bonus.

Website: http://www.KarenStiehlOsborn.com
Blog: http://stiehlosborn.blogspot.com

Carolyn Ryan - Thousand Oaks, California

1. How do you describe yourself? I live a rich interior life, am intense and passionate when triggered by great literature and art, and feel humble and grateful in the company of family and good friends.

2. What is your creative process? I create mock-ups using textiles and sketches to avoid unpleasant surprises in my final piece. I do this whether I am working with textiles, printmaking plates or other art forms. Instructors sometimes ask me to "just go for it" and stop thinking - but if I work too loosely, the outcome isn't quite right, and I have to make serious adjustments.

3. What's your style? I am drawn to the work of the Expressionists [late 1800's] and the French Symbolists. My artwork is usually expressionistic - pictorial, but not literal - seeking emotional impact and open to interpretation.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I've hand quilted and made quilts for 40 years, and transitioned to fiber art eight years ago.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I love to listen to Oldies to get my heart pumping - I'm filled with joy when I am painting fabric to "Magic Carpet Ride" for example. Jazz also expands my creative mood. But if I am working intently - figuring out perspective, or working on a figure or tricky design, I need all my brain cells in focus on the task - so I prefer silence and solitude.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? My challenge is to pump up my energy for translating my Big Idea into a piece of art. I don't wrestle with hitting a creative vacuum. That's why good rock 'n roll moves me along in the early stages of creating.

7. Do you teach? During my career in publishing I did a lot of teaching, but I haven't taught in the art community.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? This semester I am enthralled with my printmaking class - it's a great fit for me. The bold designs are challenging to carve and print, and being in a busy print room is similar to working in my studio. Within the next year I want to design and work on a really large wall piece combining textiles and printmaking. I really love the front end of a new direction like this - when chaos needs to be brought under control.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? Now that I'm retired - yahoo!!! This morning I got out of bed and rolled right into my studio to spread some matte medium on fabric I had printed. Then I made coffee, read the paper and called two of my three [adult] kids to check on their plans for the week. A little tidying up, check the fridge to make sure dinner's covered, talk to friends, back in my studio, class in the afternoon, and a long walk with a very supportive husband - Life is Good!!!

10. What is the best part about what you do? Each time I start a new piece, I learn more about myself - weak areas, and strengths. Each time I gather with artist friends to chat and critique, I return home enriched and altered. I wake up eager to touch my textiles, check various blogs, and see what my friends are creating. The pinnacle is when I can say,"It's finished, it's the best I can do, I really like it"!

http://www.carolynryanart.com/