Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
I make quilts that seek to challenge the commonly accepted distinctions between “craft” and “art.” Why is “art” sold in galleries, and “craft” sold in fairs? How do we determine worth? Why is something whose purpose is to be admired so much more valuable than something whose purpose is to be used? By celebrating the artistic functionality of quilts, I explore the multiple facets of usefulness: objects that are created to be used, which simultaneously delight our spirits with beauty, imagination, and whimsy. Useful objects hold the same power of poetry, theatre, sculpture or murals to remind us to notice, care for and explore the world around us.
Why did you decide to become an artist?
I have always been a maker and an artist. I view the world through that lens, whether I am teaching, designing, or building - I always think, what can this idea become?
What other art or artists have been inspirational to you in your work?
I believe strongly that art is given to us by those who came before us and are the foundations of my inspiration. My parents had communities of artists and thinkers who surrounded and inspired me. My work as a theatre designer, builder and educator has brought me a community of students, teachers and fellow artists who taught me to see that my growth exists at the edge of my comfort zone. Most importantly, with the participation of my husband and son, art is at the center of our lives together, and that has been the greatest gift and inspiration of all.
Which habits help or hinder your creativity?
Self-doubt and the need for approval are what I work the hardest at overcoming. It is so hard to give myself permission to make something that speaks to me, without thought for how someone else will judge it.
When I finally gave myself the permission to redo an element that I did not like, and feel it open my imagination, rather than sink me into failure, I opened doors to my creativity that I had not realized were closed.
Favorite or most inspirational place in the Valley?
I draw most of my inspiration from the outdoors. Colors, the architecture of trees, the patterns in the flight of birds, the cannon of shape in a pine cone or fungus, and the never ending overlay of textures that exist in the woods. The valley is my favorite inspiration.