A key concept in my work is Wabi Sabi, the Japanese expression of the imperfection in nature that makes it beautiful. It also conveys the impermanence of nature and the simple truths that nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. Nature and its imperfections are my inspirations and my goal in art. I use a variety of natural and recycled materials in hopes that their inherent imperfections will strengthen my work and add character to it.
As a mixed media fiber artist, I try to push the definition of “quilt”. My vessels and other 3 dimensional works ARE technically quilts – a top and bottom layer of predominantly fabric, with a middle, filler layer, all held together by stitching. From there, I enjoy messing with the viewer, trying new shapes, surface design techniques, and embellishments, to create forms that fall somewhere between quilting, basketry, painting, and sculpture. My childhood love of pop up books made me wonder if the same paper engineering could be translated to fiber. It can! I love making pop up fiber art where the open and close motion of the work is a key part of the composition.
I am also a mixed media botanical illustrator. I have recently earned my Certification in Botanical Illustration from the Denver Botanic Gardens School of Botanic Art and Illustration. I earned a 2014 Sydney Parkinson Award for excellence in botanical documentation. I am especially fascinated by the "diseased, deformed, and dead" - the highly imperfect, yet captivating, botanic subjects. Snagwood, ghost trees, weeds, invasive species, and scenesent leaves make intriguing subjects for me.
As a mixed media fiber artist, I try to push the definition of “quilt”. My vessels and other 3 dimensional works ARE technically quilts – a top and bottom layer of predominantly fabric, with a middle, filler layer, all held together by stitching. From there, I enjoy messing with the viewer, trying new shapes, surface design techniques, and embellishments, to create forms that fall somewhere between quilting, basketry, painting, and sculpture. My childhood love of pop up books made me wonder if the same paper engineering could be translated to fiber. It can! I love making pop up fiber art where the open and close motion of the work is a key part of the composition.
I am also a mixed media botanical illustrator. I have recently earned my Certification in Botanical Illustration from the Denver Botanic Gardens School of Botanic Art and Illustration. I earned a 2014 Sydney Parkinson Award for excellence in botanical documentation. I am especially fascinated by the "diseased, deformed, and dead" - the highly imperfect, yet captivating, botanic subjects. Snagwood, ghost trees, weeds, invasive species, and scenesent leaves make intriguing subjects for me.
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* 2018 Quilting Arts TV, featured artist in Series 2203, Pop It Up and 2209 Great Gifts segments. * 2018 Contributing Artist, "Dimensional Cloth: Sculpture by Contemporary Textile Artists", Edited by Andra Stanton, Schiffer Publishing. * 2018 "Contrasts" Parker Arts and Cultural Center, Parker CO, May- June 2018. * 2017-2018 Co President, Rocky Mountain Creative Quilters guild, www.r-m-c-q.org. * 2017 International Tutor, New Zealand Quilt Symposium 2017, Christchurch NZ. * 2017 "75" exhibit artist, and "Next" SAQA Symposium, panel speaker, Dairy Arts Center, Boulder, CO August, 2017 * 2014 Denver Botanic Gardens School of Botanic Art and Illustration, Botanic Illustrator Certificate: Featured Graduate Plate, Mixed Media. Sydney Parkinson Award for excellence in botanical illustration. * 2014 "32nd Annual New Legacies Contemporary Arts Quilts", Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, CO , July - August 2014. * 2014 "Front Range Contemporary Quilters Portfolio 2014". * 2014 Featured Artist, Denver Museum of Art, Sculpture Lab, Denver, Colorado, September 2014. * 2014 Featured Artist, Quilting Arts Magazine, December 2013-January 2014 issue. * 2013 “Threads of Change: Colorado Textiles Now” Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO, July 13 to September 1. * 2013 “Manic Botanics” 2 artist exhibit with Julie Clements at the Boulder Dairy Center for the Arts, Boulder Colorado, July 19 to August 16. * 2013 “Fantastic Fibers” Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY. * 2012 “New Legacies: Contemporary Art Quilts” Best of Show award, Fort Collins, Colorado, Lincoln Center Gallery. * 2012 “La Conner International Quilt Festival” Honorable Mention Innovative Fiber Art, La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum, La Conner, Washington. * 2014 – 2007 “Masks”, masks exhibited each year at the Fort Collins Museum of Art, Fort Collins, Colorado. * 2018 – 2004 Fiber art exhibited at the following: Linmer Gallery, Hudson, NY Yeiser Museum, Paducah, KY La Conner Quilt Museum, La Conner, WA Fort Collins Museum of Art, Fort Collins, CO; Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Golden, CO; Mancuso Denver Quilt Festival, Denver, CO; Longmont Museum, Longmont, CO; Kimball Art Center, Park City, UT; Sangre di Christo Art Center, Pueblo, CO; Durango Arts Center, Durango, CO; Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood, CO. Dairy Center for the Arts, Boulder, CO Parker Arts Center, Parker, CO |