Yvonne Porcella - Modesto, CA

1. How do you describe yourself? artist, author, teacher, lecturer, advocate for art quilting, founder of SAQA, board member for non-profit quilt organizations, quilt museum advocate, wonderful person, cancer survivor, grateful, very active in my spiritual life.

2. What is your creative process? I just go for it in most quilt designs. I have also done small sketches and enlarged those to size for my quilts made with applique over a full size cartoon.

3. What's your style? I only made one whole cloth quilt, my first attempts at a baby quilt gift. I have done all styles of quiltmaking except traditional or classic. Only quilt made for a bed was a commission for Jim Henson, all my quilts are made for the wall.

4. How long have you been a quilt maker/fiber artist? Do I have to tell you how long?
My work was published in many books and magazines probably before you were born.

5. Do you listen to music when you make art? I like silence. If I had to listen to music it would be classical and opera.

6. What do you do when you are blocked creatively? Make something, anything!

7. Do you teach? Yes. What’s your favorite part about teaching? I love meeting students, showing the path to making their own work. I also like to lecture on many subjects, wearable art, history of art quilts, personal journey.

8. Are there artistic endeavors that you have yet to do? Oh yea, I know there are more quilts in my future, just can't wait until they appear. I was an oil painter in the past, if I had to pick an area of improvement it probably would be in improving drawing skills and mastering photoshop.

9. How do you balance your family life and art? They balance me. When I first started making fiber art, I used each interruption by family or life as an opportunity to re-evaluate the
work when I had the chance to return to my work space. When my children were old enough to enjoy a trip with me they were invited to see that Mom was indeed working while away from home.

10. What is the best part about what you do? The only thing I don't like to do is paperwork. Traveling and meeting people is the best part, making new friends is a gift.