THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT 2020 - 2023
Often inspiration reveals itself unexpectedly. When a collector commissioned a work for an unusually sized wall - one that was very long and thin - the idea for a new series was born. The first quilt in this new body of work, “Playing It Straight” measures a tall, skinny 70H” x 14W”. I was intrigued enough by this elongated structure to continue with it through several more quilts. I embraced the challenge of using imagery from some of my early quilts and bending/reshaping it for a very vertical orientation.
CHASING LIGHT 2018 - 2020
Fascinated by the ever changing nature of light, I was inspired to break away from traditional quilting and explore a process of sculpting hand-dyed fabrics into three dimensional shapes to evoke a more complex and intimate relationship with the ephemeral qualities of light and shadow. In this series I’m primarily using the ancient Japanese Shibori techniques of resist dyeing to achieve modulated patterns in my hand-dyed fabrics.
SPATIAL RELATIONS 2017
Spatial Relations began with a basic geometric form - the triangle. What followed was a meditation on space, and an exploration of the intricate relations between forms, and between figure and ground. I’ve started “drawing” with needle and thread on top of existing forms, creating inner dimensions that resonate like ripples or mirrored reflections. The “drawing” on fabric also allows me to create shades of transparency and depth within the picture plane, as my imagination plays with the push and pull of space.
SHAPING SPACE 2014 - 2016
The works in Shaping Space were assembled for one woman exhibition at the Visions Art Museum in San Diego, CA. The pieces are an elaborate exploration of curves and contours as they mingle and intertwine. The expressiveness of a curved line can be so serene, or evocative, and the interplay between colors and forms as they appear to weave through space intrigues me, despite the technical challenges. To view a body of work in retrospect affords a vital perspective, like a distant view of the path one has just travelled, or a series of views that can provide insight into important steps along the journey.
SPACES IN BETWEEN 2013
I strive to convey a lot of energy and movement within my work. Yet, I try to create my compositions to allow the eye to pause, to rest, to contemplate in its journey around a quilt. I like to think of my work as having spaces in between. The spaces may be the neutral areas in a work which is bursting with color, they may be in an area of strong color or emotion amid an otherwise quiet palette, they may emerge from a juxtaposition of line with shape. Within each piece, the perception of the spaces in between will vary from one viewer to the next.
UNCOMMON THREADS 2012 - 2013
Patterning, juxtaposing color, arranging, restructuring, allowing for serendipity - these are some of the words I think about when trying to explain how I approach a composition. Sometimes I work from sketches, either in fabric or on paper, which I “grow” into larger finished quilts. However, often I begin by experimenting with configurations on a design wall and then try to step out of the way to let my unconsciousness thoughts assert themselves into the design process.