I am a visual artist deeply influenced by chaos in all of its forms, both human-made and environmental. My medium is quilting, specifically piecing. I work with shibori-dyed fabric and solid-colored commercial and hand-dyed cotton. I cut freehand shapes and lines and sew them together in varied combinations creating textures and forms which are then combined into large compositions. Once the top of a quilt is complete, I add an additional layer of multicolored stitched lines.
Color inspires me to play, to explore, to create. I like to include bits of every hue in each of my pieces. Using subtle variations in color and value, I piece together thousands of bits of fabric, many less than an inch square and lines ¼ inch wide. Kaleidoscopic visions emerge.
Working on the detailed intricate arrangements of small pieces of fabric and the complex process of sewing them together keeps me sane. It is a meditation: a time of focused attention while I sew together my creative vision of the universe.
On a personal level, my father’s work in Chaos Theory has influenced me to see the world as fluid and unfolding, unpredictable yet not random. I find that with a slight twist of a constructed unit, unexpected configurations appear. Like The Butterfly Effect, there is sensitive dependence to initial conditions.
Currently, I am exploring pushing strip piecing beyond the standard striped fabrics. Join me on my passionate journey through suffering and discovery into the mystery of this chaotic life.