About me

My textile art explores the emotional impact of color, line, and shape. I delight in creating abstract images from the repetition of stitches of thread or scraps of fabric. I like that these materials are accessible and carry associations of daily life but can be transformed into unexpected and evocative pieces of art.

Most of my work involves intensive hand stitching. Stitches become lines and shapes that interact with the fabric below. The stitches might dominate, transforming our perception of the fabric. The fabric and thread might share prominence, in a careful balance of foreground and background. Or the design created by many pieces of fabric might be gently supported by the stitching on top. These interactions offer endless possibilities for experimentation.

Hand stitching takes time, and its impact emerges very slowly. Creating this way involves risk, patience and commitment. Thankfully, the process is pleasurable, the fabric soft, the colors stimulating, the repetitive motion soothing.

Becoming a textile artist is one of the most surprising and happy developments of my adult life. In my late-forties, I discovered the modern quilting movement online and quickly became obsessed. Since showing my first quilt at QuiltCon in 2019, I have been developing a distinctive body of textile art that has been featured in numerous exhibitions. After a career as a historian, in which I carefully sifted through others’ words to construct narratives and carefully choose my own words to craft clear and persuasive arguments, it’s exciting to abandon the realm of language and explore aspects of human existence better expressed through color, line and shape.