artist info
The first project I can remember making was carnation bouquets out of colored tissues, assembled with a never ending supply of tissue and all the wire I could use from my grandfather's hardware store on Seattle's waterfront. As I got older, I graduated to more sophisticated fiber art projects--knitting, crocheting, embroidering--all the women's arts. By the time I was in junior high, I became fascinated with beads and began collecting them.
Although much of my creative energy as an adult went into teaching high school art, from which I have now retired after 32 years, I continued designing and making rugs, using a technique called tufting. Pattern repetition unifies my rugs and different pile lengths enhance the appearance, bringing depth and contrast. My designs and motifs continue to evolve from diverse sources, although the Pacific Northwest remains a dominant
influence.
I also design jewelry and although rug making and jewelry seem like conflicting mediums, working with both soft and hard materials makes perfect sense to me. I love the tactile quality of working on rugs as well as the rich colors of the yarn. But I also love selecting the unusual beads used in my jewelry, and the unique bead/silver
compositions.
Punch needle embroidery, my newest endeavor utilizes the same technique as my rugs, but is done on a much smaller scale using embroidery floss instead of yarn. I enjoy the compact nature of this little known process, sometimes including beads as I work with designs focusing on the natural world.
Although much of my creative energy as an adult went into teaching high school art, from which I have now retired after 32 years, I continued designing and making rugs, using a technique called tufting. Pattern repetition unifies my rugs and different pile lengths enhance the appearance, bringing depth and contrast. My designs and motifs continue to evolve from diverse sources, although the Pacific Northwest remains a dominant
influence.
I also design jewelry and although rug making and jewelry seem like conflicting mediums, working with both soft and hard materials makes perfect sense to me. I love the tactile quality of working on rugs as well as the rich colors of the yarn. But I also love selecting the unusual beads used in my jewelry, and the unique bead/silver
compositions.
Punch needle embroidery, my newest endeavor utilizes the same technique as my rugs, but is done on a much smaller scale using embroidery floss instead of yarn. I enjoy the compact nature of this little known process, sometimes including beads as I work with designs focusing on the natural world.