Van Nuys, California
1. What year did you make your first quilt? Traditional or art? I started my very first quilt in January of 2009. It was traditional but very very simple. There was a big rectangle in the middle with smaller squares around the outside and it was yarn tied. There was no binding. It was finished pillow case style (if that's what you call it).
2. What is the first show, and year, that you ever entered your art quilts? Venue? The first show I ever entered was Road to California and my quilt "Life in the City" was accepted and on display in January 2011. That was my first attempt at making a quilt as art.
3. What is your artistic style? My artistic style is definitely abstract.
4. Have you ever changed your style from when you started making quilts? Yes, of course my style has changed because in the beginning I didn't really know how to do anything. Even though I have created some form of art for most of my life, I had never sewn before. The only technique I knew for the first year was how to piece, and to this day, that is my favorite way to construct a quilt, simply piecing it.
5. What other style in quilt making piques your interest? I enjoy abstraction, and nothing else really piques my interest, as far as what I enjoy doing. For me it could be figurative, shapes or an organically painted whole cloth piece. Having said that, I do enjoy other artist's work that is created in a more realistic manner, but that is something I do not choose to do myself.
6. What other medium in art influences your work as a fiber artist? Architecture, interior design, painting, and sculpture.
7. What do you have coming up? Shows, Articles in magazines, Books, etc. One of my quilts "From a Seed" was juried into Quilt National. That exhibit will debut at the end of May 2013. There is an article about Quilt National in the current issue of the magazine Fiber Art Now, and a photo of my piece was included. I taped an episode of The Quilt Show, with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, and that will air in the beginning of September. In addition I will be teaching at Empty Spools Seminars in March 2014 as well as Art Quilt Tahoe in November 2014.
8. Where will your art take you from here? That's a good question. I have no idea. (smile)
9. Describe your studio space: I have a really great studio that my husband spent a year and a half of weekends creating for me. My walls are a nice cream color, and I wanted it to be very light and bright so I chose not to paint any color on the walls. The artwork I put up in my studio provides the color.
My concrete floor, which I painted, is in a neutral color palette of earth tones. I have a great little wet studio which is perfect for when I dye fabric and I also have a powder room and a refrigerator. I go inside to cook and sleep, but not much else.
10. What was the biggest challenge you have encountered in the making of your art quilt for "An Exquisite Moment?" I would have to say the actual quilting. I started off very dense and therefore chose to continue along with that same consistency. I also chose to leave very tiny areas un-quilted, and this was a challenge for sure, because I had to carefully go around these little spots. As far as the idea for my piece, that came very easily.
