In 2002 I shifted from traditional quilts to pursuing quilt making as an art form. This was inspired by my first class with Nancy Crow. I first learned about Nancy Crow through her book Nancy Crow: Quilts and Influences published by the American’s Quilter Society in 1989. I bought the book in the early 1990’s because I liked the cover. The content of the book was unexpected. Here was a serious artist who choose quilt making as her medium. In this book Nancy Crow shared this journey. I read every page. It was so inspiring. My dream was to some day take a class with Nancy Crow. As one of the most recognized artists in quilt making both nationally and internationally, her classes were in high demand. Ironically, it wasn’t until I moved to New Zealand that I was finally able to get into a class with Nancy. Her four-day class was held less than 5 miles from my house in Browns Bay, New Zealand.
In 2003 I began my pilgrimages to The Crow Timber Frame Barn in Baltimore, Ohio just east of Columbus. When my husband took a job at Michigan State University in 2006, my first thought was — it’s only a four-hour drive to the Barn! There I continued studying with Nancy Crow as well as other prominent teachers including Carol Soderlund, Ned Wert, David Hornung, Jan Myers Newberry and Dorthy Caldwell. In these classes I learned about improvisational piecing, composition, color theory, mark making and cloth dying. I also learned how to work as an artist. If you are serious about developing as a fiber artist, I highly recommend classes at the Barn.
In these classes I learned a lot about how to do things. And this was essential for me to understand my medium. I also learned how to develop my eye. Listening to all the critiques helped me learn how to look at a composition. But eventually I moved from asking how to wondering why.
I vividly remember working on a composition in a class with Dorthy Caldwell. I had three abstract figures on my design wall and as I was looking at it I suddenly wondered why should anybody care about these figures. To grow as an artist eventually you have to move beyond asking how, to asking why. This is how you find your voice.
Here is a small study I did in 2009. At the time I was still working in commercial cottons and was working on my creatures series. I do not consider this mature work, but it was essential to my growth. I think it is very important to be consistently creating in order to grow as an artist. I still really enjoy this little piece and find it interesting that even back then I was interested in trees; however, I think in this piece it is obvious that I have studied with Nancy Crow.
“Three Trees” 21” w by 16” h 2009
commercial cottons, cotton batting
Below is a more recent piece. I designed this on an art retreat at the Crow Barn in 2018 where I was exploring value placement around my figures. Again it is commercial solids because it is a study. I just finished machine quilting it. My voice is more distinct.
So where are you in your artistic path? What questions are you asking yourself in your studio? Have you moved from how to why?
“Red Plant Study” 51” w by 43” h 2020
commercial solids, wool batting