Artist's Statement
I fell in love with silk and silk-painting when I was in my mid-twenties. After years of drafting and computer graphics in the Landscape Architecture Program at the University of Oregon, I was thrilled with the free expression of dye oozing onto silk and the vibrant luminescent colors. My silk-paintings have evolved into art quilts through the years. I love combining different fabrics with silk to add contrasting texture and tone. Quilting the silk creates angles and texture to catch the light in different ways. Piecing fabric together, like collage, is a very satisfying synthesis process. The end result of both silk-painting and fabric collage is unpredictable and mysterious. Each piece of art becomes an adventure.
My goals and aspirations as a fiber artist are both personal and communal. I find art to be the most helpful tool for me to explore and feel connected with the natural world, and to convey to others the beauty and fragility of our living environment. When I work with fabric and piece things together, I feel an integrative healing power come alive inside me. I enjoy celebrating the mysterious and miraculous qualities within and all around us. If my work expresses the spiritual beauty and playfulness of the natural world to others, then I feel my mission is accomplished. As a yoga and dance teacher, I am convinced that art plays an important part in helping us grow spiritually as individuals and as a global community.
We are all looking for connection and harmony, and I dedicate my art toward a vision of cultivating peace on earth. I devote half of my career life to art and creativity, and the other half to teaching yoga and healing fitness classes. I also help people in their gardens and homes, so they can be surrounded with living beauty and grace. This balance of art-making and community service is the yin yang of my existence.
The Process
Silk-Painting
My early work comprised of mostly silk-painting with the French Serti Method using dyes and resist. I prefer using water-based resists and alcohol-based silk dyes and essentially paint on the silk like watercoloring on paper. The resist lines create a stained glass effect, and the alcohol dyes react with salt, sugar, alcohol, water, etc. Once the silk is painted (dyed), then the silk is steamed for several hours to set the dye. After steaming, I wash the silk to remove the resist and excess dye. Then the silk is transformed into art pieces, either made into scarves or wearables, fine crafted items, or stitched into art quilts.
Collage and Applique
Through the years I have incorporated collage and appliqué using a combination of silks and fabrics that I have dyed and commercial fabrics I have collected. The end result is a deeply textured and complex surface with a diversity of fabrics and dye techniques. The stitching and quilting adds to the texture and creates a 3-dimensionsal sculptural effect in the art. The angles that quilting creates catch the light in different ways, allowing the luminescent qualities of the silk to shine more vividly. The various colors and sheen of decorative threads add to the design and create painterly effects. Fabric provides a velvety depth that I cannot create through painting.
"Aspen Headwaters"
"Poppy Winds"
Painting silk