Pipe Creek, Texas
1. What other ideas for this theme "rituals" did you have? Since late last summer, I’ve been working on a series that honored the memory of my father, and also was an exploration of grief and mourning -- I hadn’t really considered another approach to the theme; this piece fit right into the work I was doing.
2. Are you involved in any community or group projects where you donate your work? if yes, what project or projects? I donate work locally to Say Si!, a youth arts organization that sets young artists on the way to professional training and higher education. I also donate a workshop tuition annually to the local Fiber Artists of San Antonio for my retreats at El Cielo Studio.
3. Do you belong to a small group of like-minded artists? yes/no Name/where? What is the best part of being part of an art group? Fiber Artists of San Antonio is a diverse and interesting group -- I’m a past president, and don’t participate as much as before, but the exhibits are always high quality, intriguing and challenging! I also am a member of Art Cloth Network, a group of 25 who work in surface design on fabric and meet annually. I love our meetings which take place in a different city all over the country.
4. Are you a member of a professional art organization, such as SAQA? Have you ever held a volunteer position in the organization, and if so, what? I’m a member of both SAQA and SDA. My first work for either (other than donating auction items and participating in exhibits) is to work on tours and pr for next years SDA conference in San Antonio.
5. What is your favorite palette of colors that you use in your work? Name 5. Name 5 of your least favorite colors? Impossible. I never met a color I didn’t like. BUT Lately my favorites are: navy, orange, red, black and white.
6. Describe your creative work space in 20 words or less. Are you messy or tidy? Fabulous, the studio of my dreams after working for 30 years in a dirt floored garage with no AC! I have a not-very-neat teaching studio, about 1200 square feet including kitchen, bath and big work studio.
7. What is your creative process? Think, draw, design, make or right to the design? Work from the materials, usually the colors with a vague idea of theme, subject or impulse. Audition color and fabrics (from a huge stash of fabrics I’ve made or found). Cut and collage, fuse, quilt.
8. Is there a particular object or shape that shows up repeatedly in your work? Why? Lots of personal symbols and icons -- hands, spirals, scissors, mermaids, moons, sun. Because they tell stories and I work from narratives.
9. If you had to choose a favorite artist from another media, who would it be, and why? Many different artists. Right now I am fascinated with Jenny Holzer’s text installations and, in preparation for a trip to Barcelona, architect and artist Gaudi.
10. Have you written a book related to Art Quilts and Quilting or have an instructional DVD? If so, can you tell us the title or titles? Cloth Paper Scissor DVD workshop, Mixed Media Textile Art, about using water soluble crayons for screen printing.
11. Do you make art full time? If you have another career, would you describe what you do? and how you incorporate art into your life? More or less full time, if you count teaching art and creative process. I work a good amount of time with a program that works with rural Central American teachers as a creative arts and design specialist, and also do consulting work for libraries, museums and other institutions.
12. What is your most thrilling news to date in relation to your art quilt life? I am really excited about teaching again this year at the International Quilt Festival again, after being away for two years. AND I have just received a commission for a large art quilt piece for a new public library in San Antonio.
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