Art has always been an important aspect of my life, even from an early age I loved to draw and write poetry.  That early spark has continued to flame my love for all aspects of art. Although, I have worked in pen and ink, oil and water color, and graphite portraits, my experiments in fabric has elevated my work to a higher level. 

My recent artistic endeavors have taken me on a journey of discovery through fabrics and quilting.  I use many design and construction methods in my quilting, but all are constructed of at least three layers. This is followed with free motion stitching, thread painting and quilting.  Each piece starts with a small idea that ignites my creativity, such as a social issue, or a biblical passage, or maybe a memory.  Next I do research on the subject and sketch some general ideas.  My favorite part is laying out all the fabrics and trying to choose just the right ones.  Sometimes the computer is used to help me see how a fabric would look in my design.  I never give up on my ideas, but some quilt pieces may smolder on my design wall for up to a year, before I find just the right fabric to flame it to fruition.

Spontaneity and happy accidents influence many of my pieces.  I strive to create fluidity in my pieces and incorporate dimension with trapunto and free flowing objects. Working intuitively, I try to incorporate color, line and texture in my work.  Materials such as upholstery scraps, mesh bags, dryer sheets, soft plastic, and repurposed clothing often find their way into my work.  I like to use my own hand dyed, rust dyed or painted material as well.  My latest experiments have been using natural materials for dyeing fabric.

When working with colorful scraps my studio space is often filled with a creative disarray of enthusiasm.  This is especially true with my confetti quilts.  Often lots of these tiny pieces get scattered all over the room.      I love to do thread painting over my confetti pieces or just use them as backgrounds, My current work is intermingled with my love for Haiku and poetry.  Many pieces are a visual interpretation of my one of my poems.  This is only the start of my artistic journey as I continue to experiment with new sewing techniques.