Postcard Design

Beneath the Surface - This will be an over sized postcard - conceptual artistry by

Suzanne Staud

She lives in Modesto, California - visit her amazing website by clicking on her name

Artists Profile - Curating

 









1. How did you select the theme, and did you get what you expected from those invited to submit, or are the results completely unexpected?
J) We each have lists of theme ideas, brainstorm via e-mail and then decide. Sometimes we ask a few of our artist friends for their input. My only expectation is quality artwork that interprets the theme in the art quit and that the statement reflects it.
L) We started out with quite a different idea for this year's theme, but decided there might be some unresolved copyright issues, and moved on to a subject that would invite a broad array of interpretations.

2. How did you come up with the idea of an invitational juried exhibition to be shown at Long Beach/Houston?
J) We wanted to have a great exhibit, but wanted some control on who we asked to participate, like asking people we know personally. And it was our desire to ask some artists who have never entered a piece in a large show. I enjoy the learning curve, to help an inexperienced artist achieve their goal to be accepted into our exhibit.
L) As fate would have it we were able to secure sponsors for both exhibitions this year. Last year we asked participating artists to pitch in financially if they were able in order to take the exhibition on to Houston. As a result we received a lot of additional exposure for the artists' work, and the Edges exhibit was featured in a substantial article in Quilting Arts magazine. Yay!

3. What’s on tap for next year’s invitational?
J) We are working on that now, and haven't decided what the theme will be for 2011.
L) We do have some ideas up our sleeves, but we welcome any thoughts from the BTS artists!

4. This whole undertaking is a ton of work, (thank you very much!) what do you two personally get from it, that makes you take it on?
J) I love bringing people together - all kinds with a variety of experience in the quilting world. I enjoy working with Leslie and we compliment each other in our skills. To see the big picture - from start to finish is quite rewarding in itself. To be able to share a knock out exhibit with the public at the best venues.
L) Several things: Jamie and I enjoy working together. We come at the work from different perspectives which is both wonderful and challenging. We love to see where the themes take the artists, and for many, just the size of the quilt presents a unique challenge! It is Interesting to see how people decide to interpret the theme(s). It is all very exciting to us. Yes, it is work, but it is truly a labor of love for both of us.

5. What sorts of things do you have to do as curators that the artists might not know is part of your job?
J) Working with a variety of people on a professional level, meeting deadlines, being highly organized, and having fun at the same time. Leslie is a wonderful and considerate writer, which I so appreciate when it comes to writing letters, sponsor letters, theme paragraphs, etc.
L) There is a LOT of paperwork involved. Being on the other side of the "fence" as curator/jurors we have an opportunity to intersect with a wider variety of people running the quilt shows. Jamie is extremely organized which is so wonderful!

6. What enticed you two to begin curating shows?
J) I’ve curated a handful of shows before I organized an exhibit of quilts made about Long Beach in 2008 made by groups "Everything Under the Sun." The second exhibit "Edges" began on my own and then brought Leslie in to help with the jurying process, and the rest is history. Throughout our friendship, we have found that we work well together. Henceforth, curating seemed a natural progression for both of us.
L) While I was co-owner of FiberArtspace I had opportunities to curate a number of shows as well as jury a call for entry. Jamie and I worked together on curating an online exhibition and found that we really enjoyed the collaborative effort.

7. Where did the "Dinner at Eight" name come from?
(J and L) When we go to Festival in Houston, our reservation is for 8:00pm and our artist friends are with us! We thought it was the perfect name for our curating efforts.

8. What is our greatest asset?
J and L) Perhaps a good reputation in the quilting world and we're easy to work with.
L) I think we have done a good job of presenting an interesting array of work in both exhibitions we have co-curated. We work well together.

9. What other projects do you work on as a collaboration?
J) We team teach one hour workshops in MIU at Festival in Long Beach and Houston. We are also teaching at CREATE with Cloth, Paper, Scissors in late August in Rosemont, IL. Leslie and I both enjoy cooking, so we started a blog “Artists Cooking with Gas.”
L) As Jamie stated, we have a number of common interests in addition to making art. Some of these have become collaborative endeavors and it has been quite enjoyable.

10. What are a few things you haven't done but would love to do?
J) Oh my gosh, where do I start? I would love for one of our exhibits to travel after Houston onto the Quilt Visions Gallery in San Diego and Karey Bresenhan's gallery in LaGrange, TX. I want to do an exhibit about Women Authors. I would love to do an exhibit about something emotional, that tugs at your sleeve, that changes you inside, that is gripping...a girl can dream.
L) I want to write a book. I hope to get my work into Visions and Quilt National someday. I've got a lot of dreams and goals, artwise and otherwise!

Jamie Fingal - Orange, California

1. How do you describe yourself? Funky, eclectic, over the edge, goes to the beat of a different drummer, thinker, organized, social, driven, generous, humorous, wife, mother, sister, daughter, cook, gardener and dog lover...and grown up Girl Scout!

2. What is your creative process? There is alot of pre-planning in my head way before it gets to paper, writing on post-it-notes, and then sketching in my journal. My abstract work begins with a zipper, and then the fabrics. I always have a small Moleskin journal with me so that I don't miss any inspiration that comes my way.

3. What's your style? Over the edge abstract, but I also love vibrant colors in portraits and whimsical pieces that I create. I find that I get bored easily, so it's nice to go back and forth between the two styles. I dabble in surface design with hand made stamps, block printing and acrylic paint.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I made my first nine patch in 1981, and took the leap to art quilting after wondering what else I could do if I bent the rules a bit. I've been making art quilts since 2001.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I love listening to music when I work - some easy listening, show tunes, rock, punk and what I call strong women music - and I want to hear it in every room that I am working in. It gets the juices flowing!

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I am not blocked very often, but when I am, I go shopping - to see all of the colors and textures. I visit the Orange Library and sit in the childrens section and look at the three large quilts that I designed and made with the Cut-Loose Quilters in 2007. Something usually sparks my imagination.

7. Do you teach? I have taught in Make-It-University at Festival in Houston and Long Beach for about 4 years. I am tipping my toe in the water by teaching at Create this summer in Rosemont, IL with Leslie Jenison. I really like it when you are sharing your experiences with other people - techniques - talking to them about being messy and letting loose, and not following the rules. The ah-ha moment that occurs when the light goes on in the face of a person - to visibly see the joy in what they accomplished - there is nothing like that.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Yes, many more I hope, and some to be public projects. I would love to write another book and make some "group" quilts. I enjoy co-curating and teaching with Leslie.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? Since moving my art studio to an office park, my life has been way more balanced. My family is important to me and always comes first. All of our kids have their own amazing lives. Steve and I have a routine and thoroughly enjoy our time together. My dilemma of balance lies between administrative and creativity.

10. What is the best part about what you do? Realizing the dream and making it happen. Working with other artists, connecting, making art together - being part of a community.

http://www.JamieFingalDesigns.com/
http://JamieFingalDesigns.blogspot.com/
http://artfulfoodandfiber.blogspot.com/

Leslie Tucker Jenison - San Antonio, Texas

1. How do you describe yourself? I’m an artist, mother, and “naturalized” red head. I am a textile & mixed media artist with a focus on the quilted surface. I dye, print, and make marks on paper & cloth. I enjoy working with unconventional materials, exploring their possibilities and how I might integrate them into my work. I refer to my hair color as “crazy-woman red”!
 

2. What is your creative process? I spend a lot of time looking at things that interest me. I’m obsessed with the effects of pressure upon objects & materials, such as a pile of river rocks, cracks in pavement, earth, and buildings. I photograph things that interest me and often sketch or paint them repeatedly. Sometimes I am inspired by an event, a photo, or by a piece of cloth I’m working on…frankly the inspiration can come from many places. It seems that my other interests inform my artwork.

3. What's your style? Much of my work leans toward the abstract, but I let the idea dictate how I will interpret it. I utilize photography, dye, paint, and a variety of techniques to achieve the end-result. 

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I’ve been making quilts since the, gulp, late 70s, when I was still a baby. I began as a traditional quilt-maker. Through the years of working full-time as an RN and raising children I wasn’t very prolific. I transitioned to creating my own original work in the early 90s. Without question, the move to San Antonio from Kansas had a huge impact on my art.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I listen to music, and it ranges from classical (I love YoYo Ma’s Bach concertos!), to quite a range of rock, alternative, and even an occasional C&W tune! Recent favorites include Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Johnny Flynn, and Leona Lewis. Sometimes I put headphones on and listen to an audiobook on my ipod while I work. There are days when I need silence. I love to hear the birds singing outside my studio window. When I’m doing “wet work” I almost always listen to music with my headphones on.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I love to use mixed-media collage or spending time in my garden as a way of flexing my art-muscle when I need a jump-start. I never seem to be out of ideas, but occasionally get stuck as to how to interpret a particular project. Switching gears is a good solution. Sometimes writing and/or sketching will break things open.

7. Do you teach? I have begun teaching a few workshops. In my past life I was a nurse-educator and I really loved teaching. I’m gradually teaching a bit more quilting & mixed-media locally and for Cloth Paper Scissors Make-It-University. I’m thrilled when a student has an “aha” moment in the classroom. 

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Oh yes! I’m learning a bit about encaustic, and I’m mesmerized by fire, a sort of “wanna-be -pyro”, so I would love to work with glass and metal. 

9. How do you balance your family life and art? Balancing art and family is often challenging. My family always takes priority, without question. We moved to Texas in 1997 but I frequently commuted back to care for my mother in Kansas until her death in 03. I have 3 daughters and the youngest left for college less than 2 years ago. It was after these changes that I was able to focus more on making art. My husband is equally passionate about his work and is quite supportive of what I do.

10. What is the best part about what you do? Being in “the zone”, whether it be dyeing or screen-printing, piecing, painting, or quilting. Being so engaged in what I am doing that I have no idea how much time has passed. Ahhh: Nothing better. I love each step in my art-making process. I get so much joy from doing what I do. I consider myself a very fortunate woman, indeed.

http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/

Muna Elias - Murrieta, California

1. How do you describe yourself? I am a yesterday kind of person...I like things to happen yesterday...not tomorrow or next week or even now...but a day ago. Being a mother of lots of little ones (7 to be exact) has helped me to become much more calm and patient.

2. What is your creative process? I am a process driven kind of artist. I LOVE trying to think of how I can use a new or creative techniques in my art work. I have a plan for everything, like color, and general direction, but I like the spontaneity of when things just happen. Some of my best art work started in one direction, but I made a left turn in the process and allowed myself to go in that direction. I recently started an art journal so I can get my idea out of my head and not worry I will lose the thought before I can start creating it. I now have pages full of potential art work that I know when the time is right I will get to make.

3. What is your style? I consider myself a surface design embellisher. I enjoy starting off with a solid color whole cloth. I then will dye, over dye, discharge, add fiber, add more fiber, maybe some paper or metal and then thread paint it flat. The stitching or quilting is my favorite part in the process.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I started in garment construction and have made wearable art for both the private collector and Cooperation. I started making traditional quilt tops 15 years ago, but the quilting of the layers together is what I really caught my attention. About 4 years ago I made the real transition to make whatever it was that I wanted to make. I wanted to see my art hanging in my house, on my walls.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I absolutely listen to music when I am in my studio creating art. I like different music for different creative output. Something with a heavy base when I am creating fire in my quilting and classical music for creating calm water on a piece. Music really helps me get into the zone.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I have not had a problem with being blocked creatively. I am inspired by my family daily. The kids help me to look at things through their eyes, not overlooking even the smallest of bugs or colorful sunsets. If anything, I get over loaded and what to create ALL what I see and NOW. So I have found that I need to step back and realize that I do not have to create it ALL.

7. Do you teach? Yes I teach, free motion and long arm quilting, I had to take a break this past year after giving birth to our youngest child. My favorite part of teaching is the fact that I can inspire others to try something that they may have had a fear of. Thread painting and hand quilting are my favorite things to see others come out of the box to create.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Many..I think if I stop wanting to create, I will stop creating!!! I enjoy working with others on creative projects, so I have found a friend to collaborate with. The fact that I am a process driven artist, is the reason I will never run out of the need to create!

9. How do you balance you family life and art? This is tough and maintaining a perfect balance is wishful thinking!! The fact that 6 of the kids (the baby is too young) will create art with me is true harmony. At our house art is part of daily life. I might be playing with a new dye technique and next thing you see the kids go grab their fabric and we are all outside dying yards of fabric together. I do most of my major work at night between 10pm and 2am, when the kids are sleeping. They have their own art supplies which allows them to create when they want and I feel it helps them to want to create art too. We all go the quilt show together and they are the ones pointing out the "Best" pieces in the show. Having them be a part of quilting is what makes this all good and helps maintain balance.

10. What is the best part about what you do? The best part of creating art is when I have just finished a quilt and I share it with the kids and they look at it and their eyes light up and they let me know just how "COOL" it looks and how they think the have the best mom in the whole world!!! Or when I hang it up on the bottom of the stairs and my husband will stare at it and give me that smile..that, "it looks good look." Or when I have a piece hanging in a show and I hear ... now HOW did she do that? This keeps me going and puts a BIG SMILE on my face.

Judy Coates Perez - Chicago, Illinois

1. How do you describe yourself? I am a mixed media textile artist.

2. What is your creative process? Usually when I make an art quilt it is not a spontaneous process, I spend a lot of time just thinking about the concept and how I best want to approach communicating the idea. I can think about an idea for a couple years before I am ready to start committing anything to paper. In the mean time I start collecting imagery to reference for illustration purposes and sometimes to evoke a particular aesthetic style.

3. What's your style? I like to make work that tells a story or expresses an idea. My preferred method is painting imagery on whole cloth and use the quilting stitch to add further interest to the over all design, but occasionally I diverge from this method to create a different kind of expression.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I think it would be around 25 years now.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I usually listen to audio books while I am painting and quilting, unless I am in a part of the process that demands a lot of decision making and then I prefer silence.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I don’t sweat it, if you put pressure on yourself to create some unique idea more than likely you will just draw blanks. I switch to knitting or play around with other processes. I don’t think there is an art medium or technique that I haven’t liked or found inspiration from doing.

7. Do you teach? Yes. I love meeting people and helping them learn new techniques that they can use to create their own vision. We all have so much to share with each other, there is no better place than being in a room full of people making art.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Of course, there is an endless list of new things to explore.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? My kids have grown up knowing that making art is an integral part of life. Most of the time we will all be creating work in our various preferred methods within fairly close proximity, it sort of feels like having parallel play when the kids were little.

10. What is the best part about what you do? I love the excitement of starting a new project and getting lost in the painting, it is my favorite form of meditation.

http://JudyPerez.blogspot.com/

Jayne Larson - Camarillo, California

1. How do you describe yourself? Artist using textiles and other media. Actually, I am a textile junkie trying to create art. I love all kinds of art, fiber and handcrafts.

2. What is your creative process? Once I have a theme or inspiration in mind, I have to mull it over, sometimes for weeks, in dreams, in the bathtub, during yoga, while driving or walking the dogs. Eventually an idea emerges. After that, drawing starts with lots of little sketches which are not used in the final work but are important visual warm-up exercises. Finally, I start to play with fabrics and paint which can change everything.

3. What's your style? Expressive realism

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? My sewing, quilting and textiles interests go back a long, long way. Real involvement in art quilting has been the past 7 or 8 years.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? Most frequently, I listen to NPR. I also play and listen to favorite movies, repeating them over and over, like Phantom of the Opera, Star Wars, Top Gun

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I take a break and do something else. Unfortunately, that can often mean a snack! or being sidetracked by something in the house or garden. My dogs are always ready for a walk and I love getting outside where I can re-charge my senses.

7. Do you teach? I have done some teaching but don't feel very capable. I really admire people who are good teachers.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Having taken a few digital art classes, I would like to explore using the computer more. More drawing classes too.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? Balancing time is not an issue, but allocating space for my artistic activities is a real challenge. My workspace encroaches on the dining room, family room, kitchen and garage.

10. What is the best part about what you do? I am constantly learning something new and enjoy the challenge of making something work. I love the problem solving part of work.

Sarah Ann Smith - Camden, Maine

1. How do you describe yourself? Busy. Creative. Tired. Energetic. Curious. Open. Well-traveled. A reader. Learning.

2. What is your creative process? Most quilts grow inside my head, percolating until they are ready to come out. Some spring into my mind nearly whole, formed instantly. But there is pretty much always a picture inside my head before I pick up the first piece of cloth. Sometimes things change during construction to improve design, composition, color, but rarely is there a wholesale turnaround in a piece.

3. What's your style? Representational... I use whatever technique it takes to create the picture in my head. I fuse often (hooray for MistyFuse!) to collage pieces, but also use machine applique of various sorts, paintings, dye, dye-painting, some surface design, some embellishments, but never all of those one one piece. I just use what techniques are needed to allow the picture to come to life in cloth. With LOTS of thread and machine quilting!

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I made my first (traditional) quilt in 1988, and my first art quilt about 2000 or 2001, unless you count the sunrise tea cozy I made in 1974 out of scraps from the clothes I made and the pillow (same vintage) with what I learned two decades later is a nine-patch with five embroidered squares. I began sewing when I was six (LBJ was president!) and made garments, though, until I found quilting, which was the marriage of the two things I loved to do most: sewing and art.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? No, not really. I often use the TV a white noise, but I can't really listen to something that requires me to pay attention. I get so into what I am doing that I totally lose track of anything like a movie dialogue. I've never understood how quilters can listen to books on tape! I focus so intently on what I'm doing that I tune out the external sounds, and then get irked that I have NO idea when I "left" the book and how far back I need to go to pick up where I stopped paying attention to the story line and focused instead of the art.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? Honestly, I don't know that I ever have been blocked. Too tired to *be* creative, yes, but blocked? Not really... there are always so many ideas clamoring inside of my head that if I need to let one project percolate a bit for problem solving to emerge, I do, and take up something else. But usually, the idea/image has bounced around inside my head until the picture is clear, and then I simply have the process of turning the cloth and thread into the picture.

7. Do you teach? Yes. Seeing the light bulbs go on in people's eyes! Having students tell me "I didn't think I could ever do that, but now I think I can!" So much of teaching is helping others learn how to break a project down into manageable steps, then learning how to do A, B or C, then on to the next step. Trouble-shooting, and how to do it on your own, is important, too. This works for both technique and design....

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Always! I don't know what they are yet, but I'm looking forward to finding out.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? Ummm....balance? Desperately seeking balance! I'm getting better, learning to say no, learning to pace myself, not be a workaholic, learning to relax and take it easy, but my mind is always racing with ideas, things to do....

10. What is the best part about what you do? The best part is the art! Making, creating, figuring out how....and sharing with and learning from friends and acquaintances and the internet. The paperwork, the marketing, ugh! But you have to do the yucky stuff if you want to earn enough to keep paying for the supplies to do the fun parts!

Now available: ThreadWork Unraveled at
website: http://www.sarahannsmith.com
blog: http://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog

Frances Holliday Alford - Grafton, Vermont

1. How do you describe yourself? I am an artist and a Renaissance Woman in training. I focus on my fiber works, but love all kinds of art, exploration and growth

2. What is your creative process? Most of my work is intuitive. I start with an idea and then let the art speak to me. By impulse I am able to balance color, design and texture. I believe that I am able to do this because there is a well educated muse inside who understands integrity of workmanship. With this in mind, I can let the child artist play.

3. What's your style? My work is multimedia with a story to tell. I like to work in all the styles but in the end, they look like my work.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? Officially fifteen years, unofficially since somewhere around 1951 and started first grade.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I prefer silence. If music is on it is likely to be classical or cw.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I don't experience this often. But here are some things that work: Finish a UFO, make multiple small pieces (4x4 ),or get out some paints or Shiva Sticks and just let the paint do the work.

7. Do you teach? I was a public school teacher for 25 years. I do not teach regularly now, but find I love it when I do. Now that I have a separate studio, I am up for teaching there.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? I will not live long enough to complete my endeavors. There is an unending source of inspiration and I am pleased about this. I want to write some books, do some municipal installations, more ceramics, and larger quilted constructions.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? It is done pretty effortlessly. The seem to be the same. I have an off site studio and have regular hours. I keep work with me to do in odd snatches. Lately I have been leaving the work at the studio and spending my evenings with my special man.

10. What is the best part about what you do? It is all the best part. Thanks for asking.

http://dailydetails-frances.blogspot.com/

Natalya Aikens - Pleasantville, New York

1. How do you describe yourself? I am an artist who works in textiles, fibers and recyclables. My main influence is my heritage (Russian) and the city I grew up in (St. Petersburg, Russia). My second influence are my two young daughters, they influence the way I work – 15 minutes at a time and with their light spirits always entangled in fairy tales.

2. What is your creative process? I usually start with an image in my head that will come to me as a reaction to something I am seeing or reading. Depending on the time of the day and my location, I’ll either sketch and/or make notes, or run to my studio and start pulling out supplies and materials that speak to me.

3. What's your style? My style varies with the series I am working on. It is pictorial when I am using photographs I have taken myself and altered in Photoshop for my St. Pete Stories series. It is abstract when I work on my Fantasies series. And back to Pictorial when I’m working on windows inspired by Russian fairy tales.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I have been a fiber artist for about eight years now, but have always in all my previous careers been involved with cloth. Fashion and Costume Design are still influencing the way I work.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? Not usually as I am always listening for children's voices calling for me.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? It rarely happens, but if it does, a good book, a walk or just cleaning my studio will do the trick.

7. Do you teach? I am just starting on my teaching journey, it is exciting and terrifying to me at the same time. But I’m loving it when the students ‘get’ what I am trying to say and are excited by the possibilities as am I.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Oh the list is looong... And probably not finished yet...

9. How do you balance your family life and art? In 15 minute increments!

10. What is the best part about what you do? The tactile nature of cloth is soothing, the ability to make art out of something destined for the dump is empowering!

Natalya Aikens
http://www.artbynatalya.com
http://www.artbynatalya.blogspot.com

Phyllis Campbell - Cypress, California

1. How do you describe yourself? I am and have always been creative, wanting to learn more about everything that interests me, always doing something (very possibly adult ADHD!), wife of almost 45 years, mother of 2, grandmother of 2, lover of God and nature.

2. What is your creative process? I think about the project (sometimes until almost too late), imagine it in my head, often search my photo archives and the internet for photo images to inspire me, draw design ideas on whatever is handy, and often use graph paper to finalize the scale of the design. I do not have a design wall, so I use our bed, the back of the couch, even the grass outside to view my arrangements.

3. What's your style? I often do pictorial quilts, but I also love to explore color, shape and surface design. I often use inks, pens or paint even when I am doing more conventional projects. I love to do what I call "fabric collage"-gluing down shapes and shades of fabric to make my design and then thread painting to complete it. I seldom use a conventional pattern and when I do, I always change it so it is more creative and interesting.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? Although I have sewn since childhood, I made my first traditional quilt in 1992 when I decided to make a quilt for a going-away gift for a friend. My art background soon led me into fiber arts, which is much more interesting to me than making traditional quilts.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I often listen to a movie or television show as I work, but sometimes I put on hymns, jazz or country music, depending on my mood.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I just leave the project alone until I have thought about it long enough to solve whatever is blocking my progress. Occasionally I have scraped a project and started over, and some I never finish.

7. Do you teach? I have taught children most of my life, so it is natural for me to teach others to quilt. I have also taught my grandchildren and other children to quilt. My favorite part is to teach adults to express their creativity. So many do not have confidence in their ability to do more than follow a printed pattern.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? I am always learning and trying new things. I recently started using Paintsticks, and I love working with them. I want to learn to use lost wax casting to design my own jewelry. I am an avid photographer, and I want to use more of my photos in my quilts.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? It's not easy, since I am often the "taxi" driver for my grand kids many endeavors. My husband has usually been patient with my projects spread over several rooms in our house. That will only change if he completes the studio he keeps promising me. Although I love to cook, we often eat out when I am in the middle of a project.

10. What is the best part about what you do? The best part is having the opportunity to be creative. It was hard to fit in during the years of raising my children. Now I have at least some time to create. The best part of the process of making a project is usually the thread painting, as it gives me the opportunity to make my work truly unique.

http://addicted2creativity.blogspot.com

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/

Barb Forrister - Austin, Texas

1. How do you describe yourself? I am a textile artist who likes to create in a 3 dimensional manner. I usually begin with a whole cloth dyed and or painted piece and build from there. I enjoy working with various materials such as beads, heat distressed plastics, natural and synthetic fibers to impart texture to my work.

2. What is your creative process? My creative process varies. Sometimes I work from sketches and other times, I dive right in and see where things take me. Even when I work from a sketch, I am always surprised to see how the finished piece has evolved.

3. What's your style? I enjoy working in a pictorial style with an emphasis on nature. However, I like to be flexible and work in an abstract manner as well. Two aspects common to both styles of my work are my propensity for 3 dimensional work and my desire to create art from recycled materials.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I have been quilting for ten years, five of which I was immersed in traditional style quilts. In 2005, my focus began to change toward s more art oriented quilts. In November 2006, I attended my first International Quilt Festival in Houston and my eyes were opened up to a whole new world. I can still remember feeling like I had finally found my passion. I remember promising myself that one day, I too, would have my work displayed there. Since then, I have been blessed to be a part of this wonderful venue and to have a career doing what I truly love.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I do listen to music while I am creating art. If I am composing, I listen to classical and opera music. If I am in the construction phase, I tend to opt for contemporary or alternative rock.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? Fortunately, this does not happen to me very often however when I am creatively blocked, I try changing the scenery. I visit museums, galleries, art supply stores, watch a movie or just go for a walk and enjoy nature. In this way, I am able to look at my world through fresh eyes and gather inspiration.

7. Do you teach? Currently, I am not teaching but I have taught classes in the past. My favorite part of teaching is seeing a student’s eyes light up when they realize they have just made something wonderful.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? One artistic endeavor that I have would like to do is write some articles for publication. I would love to share what I have learned with other people.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? I am very blessed to be a full time artist and my family is very supportive. I am married to my best friend and soul mate and we have two beautiful teenage daughters. Most days, I work in the studio from 9-4:30 when the girls get home from school. At that time, I stop to visit with them and ask how their day went. This is a very special time for us. We each take turns cooking during the weekdays which makes it so much easier when I have to work at night. We band together to get the chores done during the weekend. This seems to work for us.

10. What is the best part about what you do? The best part of being a textile artist is that I truly love what I do! I enjoy the feel of the cloth and the hum of the machine as the piece evolves. I am happiest when I am in the zone.

Loris Bogue - Simi Valley, California

1. How do you describe yourself? Curious. A non-stop student. A happy mother, wife, artist.

2. What is your creative process? I am usually inspired by the quirky, the things that surprise me, the juxtaposition of things that aren't usually seen together. My digital camera and Photoshop play a big part in my creative process. I also keep notebooks of things I've cut out to save for inspiration.

3. What's your style? I enjoy doing photo realistic work, particularly faces. I like to dye, discharge, and silkscreen fabric, so many times my art work means creating new fabric as an end in itself.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? Since 1984, but I have been making clothing since 1960! A lady I worked with in 1984 used to hand quilt at lunch time in our conference room, and she told me where she took lessons. I tried a hand piecing class and was hooked after the first lesson.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? Usually I listen to classic rock music and talk radio. Sometimes I'll have the TV on.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? I go through my art books and look particularly at 20th century art. I also browse my quilt show catalogs and books to see what others have done. When I'm driving I find I do a lot of thinking about the current project I'm working on.

7. Do you teach? I taught classes at Quilters' Studio in Newbury Park, California, usually new techniques that I learned on my own. I've also taught a class in making dress forms and how to photograph quilts. My favorite part is knowing that a student went home and used what she learned to create something on her own.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? I am completing my Certificate in Web Design from Pierce College this year. Earning the certificate has meant taking graphic arts classes, but I want to continue my art education by taking drawing and illustration after my certificate is complete.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? Since I work from home, I struggle constantly to prioritize and get the things done that I want to do. My husband knew what he was getting into 15 years ago when we married, as far as my compulsion to create, so he supports my art wholeheartedly.

10. What is the best part about what you do? Between completing the minor remodeling of the older home we bought last year, the new businesses my husband and I created, and my textile art, I feel blessed to have a life where I can fill my need to create all day long!

Kathy York - Austin, Texas

1. How do you describe yourself? A happy go lucky artist with phases of complete obsession.

2. What is your creative process? I need a quiet space to think and dream. Ideas come to me in the form of pictures. Sometimes they are complete pictures and sometimes only partially formed. The idea is usually expressive of some larger concept and as I work I find multiples levels of meaning in my work as the daily life gets expressed within the larger picture.

3. What's your style? My style is basically bold and bright. I like to be fearless in my attempts to try new techniques. I used to think that working in a series would be boring. However, I am finding that over time I revisit different ideas and compositions and make them again with a different view. My series happen over years and I work on them concurrently with other series. I like for the work to tell a story regardless if it is pictorial or abstract.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I have been making fiber art since 2003, and that started with my participation in the Journal Quilt Project.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? Sometimes I listen to music when I quilt, I love adult alternative. And I almost always listen to music when I am doing surface design. When I am quilting or sewing, I will usually 'watch' a movie. The best ones are just background noise, films that I have seen so many times that it doesn't matter if I miss a section because my machine is humming too loudly.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? When I am blocked creatively, I take a break. I will take a long hike in the trails around Austin. I also like to do traditional piecing or fabric dyeing when I have finished a difficult piece of art, either technically or emotionally challenging.

7. Do you teach? I do teach, but rarely. It is hard to get childcare, and difficult to travel. My favorite part of teaching? Watching the light bulbs turn on over students' heads and seeing their creativity expressed!! Total joy!

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? I want to take an idea and expand it in about 30 different ways, large and small (right now!) I would love to have a solo exhibit. I would love exhibit my work more frequently in art museums. I would love to sell more of my work.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? I temporarily lose balance when I am hip deep in a project. Then the balance swings away from art during both crisis and lulls. My family is so incredibly important to me, and I have to take care of myself too. My rock climbing period of my life was all about balance. It was my best literal skill (not strength!). It is a perfect metaphor for life and so remains in the forefront of my thinking and planning for each day. For me, making art is all about self expression. But there is no self to express if I am not connected to my family and friends. Balance is key.

10. What is the best part about what you do? Playing with color and communicating with a world larger than the walls of my house, both through my blog and exhibiting my work.

visit Kathy's blog in the right column

Jeannie Palmer Moore - Escondido, California

1. How do you describe yourself? I am a mixed-media artist who continues to explore the painting and dyeing of fabric for creating art quilts.

2. What is your creative process? I tend to get an idea in my head and then draw small sketches in a sketchpad. I work out how I will accomplish the textures on small pieces of cloth because I prefer to paint and dye all of my own fabrics for my quilts.

3. What's your style? Abstract with emphasis on surface design best describes my style. I'm starting to do more whole cloth pieces with a variety of stitching.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? I've always been an artist but dyed my first piece of fabric about 5 years ago. I was instantly hooked to fabric at that time.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? Yes, I listen to quite a variety of music- Bon Jovi, Michael Buble, Rod Stewart, Jason Mraz and Rodrigo y Gabriela.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? The creative juices start flowing when I flip through quilt books and quilt catalogs. I let my mind assimilate all of the images and ideas sprout!

7. Do you teach? I love to demonstrate my techniques for groups. I am starting to teach more because I enjoy sharing and exchanging ideas.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? I'd like to take a cake decorating class and make a huge artistic sculpture like cake.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? The kitchen is my other creative studio. I love to cook and that keeps my family happy!

10. What is the best part about what you do? Just being able to do what I love to do the most--- creating art quilts!

http://www.jpmartist.com/