When I moved to Auckland, New Zealand in 1999 I joined the Auckland Quilter’s Guild in order to meet like minded people and make friends. At the end of every meeting the guild held “Show & Tell” for quilters to share their most recent work. I showed a large piece called “Rhythms of Africa.” Below is the only digital photo I have of this piece currently. It is an early work where I was playing with proportions and color trying to create depth and movement. As you can see at this time I was still riffing on traditional patchwork forms.
“Rhthyms of Africa” 1999, commercial cottons, hand and machine quilted. Approximately 115 inches wide by 90 inches tall. Photo from 2010
After I showed my work, Lesley Aspin introduced herself to me. Turned out she lived only a street down from me. We quickly became good friends. We went to quilt shows and quilt shops together and we both took our first Nancy Crow class together when Nancy taught in New Zealand in 2002. We both found this class inspiring and we began to implement what we learned from Nancy in our studio practices. We also traveled to the States together to continue studying with Nancy Crow at The Barn.
I vividly remember Nancy telling us how lucky we were to have each other as we both aspired to pursue quilt making as artists. Over the next four years Lesley and I gave each other valuable feedback as we worked in our studios. I am convinced we both developed more quickly having each other to talk to about our work. We had a shared vocabulary and understanding of what we were trying to accomplish as we worked toward the same goals. We had a creative synergy that propelled the development of our work.
Lesley and I both had work juried into Quilt Auckland National Symposium held in Auckland in 2005. Our work was very distinct from the other pieces in the show, and distinct from each other. We both had grown a lot since our first class with Nancy. Below are two of our pieces from that show.
“Whitecaps and Waves” 2004, 32” w by 55” h commercial cottons, machine quilted
Pamela Loewen
“Stepping Stones” 2004 approximately 48”w by 60”h commercial and hand dyed fabrics, machine quilted
Lesley Aspin
The next year I moved back to the States. Lesley gave me her piece from the show. I had wanted to buy it, but she insisted she wanted to give it to me as a gift. It proudly hangs in my home in my living room. I have never found another kindred spirit like Lesley.
Part of the reason I want to have a gallery and begin teaching is to create a community where likeminded people can meet, show their work and create synergistic relationships that enable them to grow as artists. If you are interested in being part of this future community please use my contact information to send me your email to sign up for my upcoming newsletter. Your email will be kept confidential.