A R T IS T  S T A T E M E N T

Making my own fabrics is truly like chocolate cake, without all the calories, just delicious beyond words! It is glorious fun to dye fabrics!

I definitely belong to the Wabi Sabi thinking which sees beauty in imperfection. With an unpredictable silk screen approach, I make the most delicious organic markings, and my "scarred aspen tree bark" fabric is made by using shibori pole wrap dyeing techniques.

These unique fabrics inspire my fabric collages, which are fragments from our Colorado landscapes and living in our mountain town of Estes Park. My ideas come from the lights and shadows of the day, the seasons of the aspen trees, the amazing rock colors, reflection scribbles, and, of course, the amazing majesty of the Rocky Mountains.

I had earlier worked in watercolor, and could only paint "great" skies. It was monumental for me, years back, to see Nancy Crow's and Michael James' quilts mounted high in the Denver Art Museum, looking like stained glass windows. I quickly switched to creating "IN FABRIC". Growing up, my Mother shared her enthusiasm and sewing talents with me, so I was off and running.

My passion for creating art quilts has been an amazing adventure.
Equally delicious is my constant search to draw new motifs
found in ordinary surroundings.
____________________

I share my enthusiasm by teaching design in my classes, Essence of Landscape, 
Take a Concept! Collage It!, Patterns Everywhere, Open Your Eyes, at Art Quilt Tahoe (AQT),Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival, Quilt Surface Design Symposium (QSDS), and Quilting by the Lake (QBL), plus many Colorado venues.
____________________

In 2005, at the Longmont Colorado Cultural Center and Museum, an exhibition
featured 20 of my art quilts and 30 of my husband Wes' handcrafted
small wooden chairs. It is such a treasure to exhibit together and show
our friends what fun we have making art together!
(See photos in the Personal Gallery)
____________________

Also in 2005, I was privileged to serve an Artist Residency in the
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
____________________

2 Quilt Visions and 6 Quilt National exhibits are among many of the exhibitions
in which I have been juried. My work has also appeared in several
invitational exhibitions including Full Deck, Pot Luck,
and Oxymoron: Absurdly Logical Quilts!
____________________

It is so gratifying to nurture and encourage people new to the
art quilt expression. As one of the 6 who founded
Front Range Contemporary Quilters 20 years ago (now 200 members),
I am always excited to see younger quilters gain recognition.
____________________

You will now and then find me in a segment on HGTV's program Simply Quilts.
____________________

Honors
2009 Lyceum presenter, Rocky Mountain National Park
2009 SAQA “Art in a Box”, of 12 artists chosen
2008 Visual Artist, juried for Larimer County, CO
2006 Quilt Japan Prize at Quilt Visions
____________________

I always like to tell people that
"I am only as GOOD as my NEXT NEW QUILT".