My art expresses my love of fabric and love for the mountains of Colorado. Fabric has texture and depth that I can enhance with stitching. As a child, a trip to the mountains meant that I would see the panoramic vistas of foothills, mountains and peaks; and rock formations, trees and streams; elements lacking on the dry plains of Colorado where I grew up.

I create abstract landscapes in fabric that explore the relationship between fragments of different geological elements—water interacting with the land; fire interacting with ice; light and shadow on rocks or trees. I want to evoke an emotional response to the dynamics of the interaction I portray. 

I also create representational landscapes that are inspired by my photos of mountains and trees; geometric studies of color and shape, and studies of individual trees.

A photo may provide me with inspiration and a structure for the composition, but more often I let the color and texture of my chosen fabrics dictate the shapes of the fragments and how they interact.

I use any fabric or material I can sew (including scraps from couture garment sewing) in my art quilts. Free-motion machine stitching for turned-edge and raw-edge appliqué is my favorite technique. I make very limited use of fused appliqué because fusing flattens the fabric, destroying the depth I want to evoke. I also use free-motion stitching to “paint” with thread, adding highlights or shadows, and to “draw” with thread, adding details.

"Aspen IV -- Sunny Day"

30 inches x 40 inches

$900