When I first knew her she was chopping wood for winter heat and living self-sufficiently in a log cabin with her two small children in the Kootenay woods. Her rough-hewn home was her art studio and amidst domesticity she was creating the most exquisitely rendered textile designs, pure in form and color. Ethereal in design her textile radiated a refinement and sophisticated simplicity that would have their rightful place in any high society home." -- Shelley Klammer, visual artist
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
When I was in Interior Design school, I was drawn to the singular elements of what it takes to create an interior space- beautiful, richly colored tiles and sensual fabrics. I found it difficult to focus on the more mundane, precise aspects of being an Interior Designer - like having to know how to install plumbing, or lighting specs. Inspired at age 16 by the fabulous designs of William Morris, I always hoped to bridge my art & design knowledge to create something beautiful and tangible for the home. And as always, I began by experimenting….staying up late at night stirring warm vats of dying cloth; cutting various wood and lino designs; or sitting in the darkroom burning a new image onto the silkscreen.
With my fabric designs I have chosen natural, eco-friendly fibres such as hemp, linen and silk because I feel these are superior fibres. Hemp is an ancient fibre, used as far back as 3000 BCE China, and is an easy crop to grow needing very little water and no pesticides. These properties along with the wonderful feel of the fabric next to the skin attracted me a great deal, as I am aware of how devastating the textile industry is to our environment.
I use three different Surface Design techniques: silkscreen, hand-painting on silk, and block printing with three very different results. The silkscreen process can be very precise and quick, while hand painting is slow and absorbing with more serendipitous results. I have created a collection of unique textile art that have been made into pillows and duvet covers.