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I am compelled to create; creating gives me energy and
I want to share that energy with others.
Fabric is my medium of choice because I love the feel and
texture of it.
Nature often inspires my work and I try to show the viewer
what I feel in lines and colors instead of reproducing what I see.
My art is happy and upbeat, concentrating on the positive and whimsical side of life.
Since I was
a little girl I have always felt the need to create. I consider myself a
serious “doodler” – pencil in hand, I just love making lines and
patterns. Color had always intimidated me, because I didn’t enjoy the
mess of mixing paints and I didn’t have the color confidence to select
the right colors. Fabric was a welcome relief to my dilemma– colors came
already “pre-mixed” – no color charts, no mess, no fuss AND I
could work with them anywhere in the house. I do love painting on
fabric now, which I happily cut up and use in my fabric art.
The sewing machine didn’t enter my life until I was 30 years
old. I had purchased one as a young mother feeling it was my duty to own one.
The sewing machine sat in a closet till the day I saw my first quilt. Having
drawn and taken art lessons since I was 6 years old, I figured that if I could
draw it, I could figure out how to sew it. Even though my first projects were
far from perfect, I loved working with fabric and couldn’t wait to get to the
quilting stage to add the wonderful texture to the surface.
I pursued German and Russian
languages in college, thinking I would pursue a career as a translator, but
spent time in a German commercial bank instead, then switched to doing pen &
ink renderings of houses for real estate companies and homeowners so that I
could be home with my children. Next I dabbled in real estate as a sales agent,
however, when I realized that I was drawing more houses than selling
them, I finally listened to the artist within me and pursued a career in art.
In
1996 I started making art quilts, which were very well received in national
and international shows. The awards encouraged me to move forward in my new
direction. My hobby officially became my business in 2002 when I opened my
business “The Quilted Lizard.” For 8 years I taught at a local quilt store and
in 2002 I began teaching my technique
“Layered Curves” and “Accidental Landscapes™” nationwide. Teaching
workshops gives me the opportunity to share my passion for playing with fabric
with others, and I love it!!
Where does the
name “Quilted Lizard” come from?
Lizards make me laugh. They’re
tiny and cute, and scurry around with amazing speed. I began including lizards
in my quilts and loved the smiles and laughs (and blue ribbons) when people
looked at my whimsical creations. Over the years I realized that I had collected quite a few lizard pins, belts, t-shirts, hats…. So
when it came time to name my company I wanted a mascot that would make people
smile.
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The Quilted Lizard Fiber Art Studio
