I have been passionate about making art since I was a child. Studying art, teaching art, and learning ways to express my ideas in visual form has been a life long pursuit. Although my study of art in college provided a good foundation in design work, it was my mother who taught me how to sew and opened my eyes to the joy of working with fabric. The work I do now is a perfect blend of these two passions and I am enchanted with the process of making art with fabric. The themes in my work are also influenced by my love for bold colors and patterns and I enjoy manipulating these elements to express my ideas. My intent with this work is to create harmonious compositions that communicate feelings or ideas, create a sense of place, a state of mind or suggest a kind of movement.
I would define the work I do now as textile constructions or art quilts. I am inspired by the things I see and am always adjusting my “view finder” to pick out a compelling composition, color combination or pattern of shapes. Although I keep a sketchbook of ideas, much of my composing is done on the design wall during the sewing process. Working from a palette of my own hand-dyed colors, I design and construct abstract compositions using an improvisational method of cutting and sewing fabric pieces together. Then, I add another layer of pattern with topstitching as I join the layers of fabric. This intuitive designing is the most engaging part of the process for me. To keep things interesting, I vary my approaches to creating compositions and use several different fabric piecing techniques including: working directly with shapes, strip piecing and restructuring, and building designs with units or motifs.
My passion for working with fabric has grown as I translate what I have learned into my own form of visual expression. Although I feel I have accomplished a level of proficiency with my work at this point, I will always aspire to try new ideas, learn more, and push myself to make my art more expressive, interesting and beautiful.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2012 “All Alaska Juried Art Exhibit XXXIV, Anchorage Museum of Art, Juried/Touring
2012 SAQA “Seasonal Palette”, International Quilt Market and Festival, Houston, TX, Juried/Touring
2012 ”In Full Bloom 2012″ International Quilt Market and Festival, Houston, TX, Juried/Touring
2012 ”Hands All Around 2012″ International Quilt Market and Festival, Houston, TX, Juried/Touring
2012 ” Womens’ Work”, Old Courthouse Art Center, Woodstock, IL, Juried.
2012 International Gallery of Contemporary Art, Anchorage, AK.
2012 ”All That Jazz”, Road To California Quilt Show, Ontario CA, Juried.
2011 ”Quilts=Art=Quilts”, Schweinfurth Art Center, Auburn, New York, Juried.
2011 Artique Ltd. Gallery, Anchorage, Alaska, (3 person show).
2011 International Gallery of Contemporary Art, Anchorage, AK
2011 “Earth Fire and Fibre Exhibition XXVIII”, Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK , Juried
2010 All Alaska Juried Art Exhibition XXXIIV, Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK , Juried/Touring
2010 “The Quilted Surface” VI, Ross Art Museum, Delaware, OH, Juried.
2010 Alaska Fiber Festival Exhibit , Anchorage, AK , Jurors Award.
2009 International Gallery of Contemporary Art, Anchorage, AK
2009 Artique Ltd. Gallery, Anchorage, Alaska, (4 person show).
2009 Ann Arbor Art Center Gallery, Ann Arbor Michigan, Invitation.
2009 “Earth Fire and Fibre Exhibition XXVII”, Anchorage Museum,
Anchorage, Alaska, Jurors Award for body of work.
2008 “Garden Variety”, Artique Ltd. Gallery, Anchorage, Alaska, Invitation.
2008 “Cloth & Canvas”, Artique Ltd. Gallery, Anchorage, Alaska, Invitation.
2008 Alaska Fiber Festival Exhibit, Anchorage, Alaska.
2006 Alaska Fiber Festival Exhibit, Anchorage, Alaska.
EDUCATION
1987 Master of Art Education Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan
1968 Bachelor of Arts, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, Major – Art Education, Studio Emphasis – Drawing and Painting
ART TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2000-12 Art Teacher, Diane Melms Studio Art Classes
1973-99 Elementary Art Teacher, Anchorage School District.
1989-99 Master Curriculum Writer for the Anchorage School District Art Department.
1968-73 Elementary Art Teacher, Madison Elementary School, Wayne, Michigan.
AWARDS
2010 Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Fellowship
2010 Jurors Award, “Under Construction Exhibition”, Alaska fiber Festival,.
2009 Jurors Award for body of work, Earth Fire and Fibre Exhibition XXVII, Anchorage
2005 Retired Art Teacher of the Year Award, Alaska Art Education Assoc.
1996 Alaska Art Educator of the Year Award, Alaska Art Education Assoc.
