Unique experiences have created a fascinating world of color and design for me as I implement my impressions through the medium of fiber. Walking by a brightly colored produce market next to the Rialto Bridge in Venice, or gazing at a packed flower stand in Nice near the Mediterranean Sea; everything that I see excites me. Once a volunteer in an inner city evening arts program in Boston, an Artist in the Public Schools teaching Color and Design in Tulsa, or a Gifted and Talented teacher focusing on Arts Education and Asia, art has always been part of my existence. Now as a member of 108 Contemporary, Fiber Artists of Oklahoma, Studio Art Quilt Associates, Surface Design Association, Front Range Contemporary Quilters, and the Embroiderers’ Guild I am seeking unique ways to integrate color, pattern, and design through fiber.

I am particularly interested in patterns in nature and shades of color. Taking those patterns and seeing how they are used in architecture and object design I am constantly studying color, design, and texture. Walking The Great Wall, studying the hand-chiseled designs on the doors of La Sagrada Familia, or climbing The Acropolis to see the statuesque columns of the Parthenon, I have experienced many visual images firsthand. Working with hand-dyed fibers I enjoy seeing how light plays off of these surfaces. The nuances of color are being enhanced with hand embroidery and beading, overlaid with manipulated fibers for dimension, and complemented with resist techniques and mixed-media.

My artistic inspirations are as diverse as J. M. W Turner, Antoni Gaudi, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Sonia Delaunay, Ilisha Helfman, Central Asian Ikats, and the Ethnic Minorities of China. My travels throughout the world have shown me the synchronicity between different countries and cultures with similar approaches to fiber, miles apart and separated by centuries. I am most intrigued by that historical and contemporary context. I store away these world experiences and inspirations for creating with fiber: for all the possibilities that exist today, tomorrow, and always.