My textile work begins as white
or light colored cotton, linen, silk and antique fabrics. I am a collector and a firm believer in
recycling, often combining wonderful old antique textile fragments with new
fabrics. The staircases, hallways, doorways and loading docks she sketches from
her life become the muse for the narrative spaces in her work. They become metaphors for expressing
various journeys, transitions, and thresh-holds within her life's journey. Seasonal landscapes, the textures and
colors found in the natural world, especially the intense vibrant colors of
flowers serve as the inspiration for her colorful palette.
I enjoy spending time mixing dyes, this allows me to fine tune the value and relationship of each color in a piece. My work can take many forms, sometimes the fabrics are pieced into a quilt top or woven into a rag rug "canvas" to be painted with thickened dyes. Other pieces are created out of hand dyed cloth that is layered with a wide variety of surface design techniques. In both cases I enjoy layering dyes and textiles to build up layers of vibrant color and pattern. The construction of the pieces can include a combination of hand and machine sewing, collage, embroidery, and hand and machine quilting. The physical layering of the surface design processes and stitching reinforce the visual and tactile sense of space.
I enjoy spending time mixing dyes, this allows me to fine tune the value and relationship of each color in a piece. My work can take many forms, sometimes the fabrics are pieced into a quilt top or woven into a rag rug "canvas" to be painted with thickened dyes. Other pieces are created out of hand dyed cloth that is layered with a wide variety of surface design techniques. In both cases I enjoy layering dyes and textiles to build up layers of vibrant color and pattern. The construction of the pieces can include a combination of hand and machine sewing, collage, embroidery, and hand and machine quilting. The physical layering of the surface design processes and stitching reinforce the visual and tactile sense of space.
