Sara Lechner

www.thefabricofmeditation.blogspot.com

I began working with textiles more than 20 years ago when I discovered that this was my way of connecting with the world and contribute bringing more fantasy, inspiration and a smile to it. I live in a world of little people and awesome worlds, all born in my imagination.  My art was shaped by a life full of experiences in two continents, Europe and South America (where I'm living now once more). My childhood was populated with an imagery of strange creatures born from the art of the Jesuit Missions of Argentina.

Artist's statement:  I'd like to inspire people through the spell of  medieval and folk motives, angels and birds. They live with me even when I do more minimalistic contemporary art...

Location:  Buenos Aires, Argentina

Online shop:  SaraLechnerArt

Blog:  thefabricofmeditation

Social Media:  LinkedIn, facebook

Languages spoken:  English, German, French, Spanish

The Magical Textiles of Sara Lechner

Tags:  embroidery, felting, quilting, contemporary, fairies, tyvek, fantasy, flowers, embellisher, faces

HG handmade - Heike Gerbig

http://gerdiary.blogspot.com

I´m a writer who some years back started turning textile artist. Being used to weaving words and embroider them over and over, this step turned out to be an easy and very consistent one.

Not surprisingly, there are quite a lot of words to be found in my textile and mixed-media work - machine stitched, hand embroidered, taken from old books...

So, I still tell stories –  to myself, in the first place - but I´d be glad if you can hear them, too…

Artist's statement:  I aim at creating textile pieces and mixed-media artwork that might have a calming quality, being interesting nevertheless, informative, and inspiring - each of them is one-of-a-kind...

Location:  Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Online shops:  

   HGhandmade (Etsy)
   hghandmade (Big Cartel)

Blog:  gerdiary

Languages spoken:  English, German

Stitched and Mixed Media by Heike Gerbig

Tags:  Stitched stories, mixed media artwork, freehand embroidery, textile creatures, textile jewelry, art to wear

Eileen Doughty / Doughty Designs

"Tree Tea", Sculptural Threadwork by Doughty Designs

http://www.DoughtyDesigns.com

Studio fiber artist.  I create free-standing three-dimensional fiber art made of thread (once I realized I loved thread so much, I figured out how to drop out the fabric).   I also create landscape art quilts (with lots of threadwork). 

I founded Doughty Designs in 1991 and have been creating commissioned work in the textile medium ever since.  From 2002-06 I was a regional co-representative for Studio Art Quilts Associates and am now the Website Coordinator. I have taught and lectured on various aspects of art quilts in several states.  My work is in private, public, and corporate collections, and has been exhibited on five continents. 

My work is available at Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery  (Alexandria, Virginia), Mobilia Gallery  (Cambridge, Massachusetts), and at the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia's Museum Shop (Virginia Beach, Virginia).

Artist's statement:  I love the concept of ""place"" and so my preferred subject matter is the landscape.  Often my inspiration (and sometimes even my materials) comes from the trees I know so well, in my own yard and neighborhood. Currently my work focuses on exploring what makes fiber art so unique: texture, freedom of shape of the ""canvas,"" and employing three rather than two dimensions.

After creating art quilts for many years, particularly utilizing thread-sketching techniques to ""draw"" on the surface, I came to realize that I love thread even more than I love fabric.  This led to my exploration of machine-stitching sculptural objects made only of thread.

Location:  Vienna, Virginia, USA

Memberships:  

   Studio Art Quilt Associates

   Surface Design Association

Languages:  English, American Sign Language

"Maple Basket", Sculptural Threadwork by Doughty Designs

Tags:  fiber art, thread sculpture, three-dimensional fiber, teapot, teapot set, bowl, vessel, stitched cotton thread, fine art, Doughty Designs

Julie Kornblum

Forever Yours, detail, by Julie Kornblum

upholstery piping, waxed linen thread

plastic and metal discards

20" h x 10" w x 5" d             2007

www.juliekornblum.com

I remember always wanting to be an artist as a child, but somehow I never picked up paintbrushes or pencils. I was surrounded in my home by fabrics, needles, thread, and yarn; and I gravitated toward them. I weave, knit, crochet, and make baskets; and love the interplay between textile structures and the colors and textures in the materials. I love using fiber art techniques to create my wall pieces, sculptural baskets, and jewelry. The process is as satisfying as the final product. 

Work available at:  Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Camarillo, California; Textile Art Center, Minneapolis, MN

Artist's Statement:  My work combines the immediate and the ancient. I apply post-modern materials to the centuries-old processes of basketry weaving knitting and crochet. As a fiber artist, I follow the path of a thousand generations of artists from around the world. As a contemporary artist, I'm concerned with how our plastic trash impacts the environment.

My materials are cast off, surplus, or waste: copper wire from the recycle yard; audio cassette tapes that even the thrift store wanted to throw away. Both physically and conceptually, my materials are creations of the modern age. Physically, they are by-products of industrialization.  Conceptually, the notions of disposability and one-time-use are purely modern inventions. I hope to help raise the awareness that leads to reducing our production of trash. 

Location:  Los Angeles, California, USA

Online shops:  JulieKornblumStudio (Etsy, in construction)

   artsthatwork

Blog:  juliekornblum 

Memberships:

   Designing Weavers
   Surface Design Association
   Southern California Women's Caucus for Art

Languages spoken:  English

Copper Lace Cuff by Julie Kornblum

Tags:  weaving, basketry, jewelry, recycling, crochet, beads, copper wire, fiber art, sculpture

Anni Hunt

"Copper Pot", Detail, by Anni Hunt

www.annihunt.com

Stitching and fabric have been an important part of Anni’s life since childhood. As so many people do she started making clothes, then  moved on to quilting and now is making stitched, dyed and painted 3d pieces and wall hangings.  All art making gives its creator certain freedoms and creating work in 3D has given her a new view of what she wants to and can do.

Having had a career in “grayscale” imaging she has necessarily become acutely aware of subtle changes in shade.  In many ways this has pushed her towards a love of, and perhaps a need for, the rich and colourful, but at the same time kept her very aware of changes in hue and tone.  As an artist she has found this very helpful. 

The sleek and elegant lines of Japanese design concepts has also been a strong influence on Anni.  She finds its strength and simplicity inspiring and in a way comforting.

With her containers she wants to create the contradictory feeling of containment and freedom, a contradiction which is something that everyone finds in their lives.

Artist's statment:  I have always had a very good ""eye"" for subtle changes in colour . I think my thirty years in ""grayscale"" imaging in medicine has definitely honed those skills to a finer degree than most. So it is wonderful to be able to apply that in stitch with the use of fibre and threads to create a rich and colourful texture reflecting nature in my work.

I tend to use my surroundings from the west coast and nature to influence and inspire me.
My design sense has definitely been influenced by sleek, elegant Japanese lines and the Art Deco clothing styles of Erte` to which I apply to my wearable art creations.

My work is available at Crafthouse, a gallery run by the Craft Council of British Columbia.

"Family Connections" by Anni Hunt

Location:  West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Memberships:  

   SDA, Surface Design Assoc.
   SAQA, Studio Art Quilts Assoc.
   Gail Harker Creative Studies

   Workshop on the Web

Languages spoken:  English, Norwegian

"Dream Twigs" by Anni Hunt

 

Tags:  Mixed Media, Textiles, Machine Embroidery, Collage, Encaustics, Abstracts in Nature.

Barbetta Lockart Contemporary Art

“Silent Witness…No More”

recycled mannequin, misc. recycled fabrics, twine, wire, acrylic paint, gel medium

26"H x 15"W x 12"D

©2010 Barbetta Lockart

“We can no longer sit by silently as we witness atrocities, genocide, abuse, man’s inhumanity to man, destruction, starvation and corruption. We must speak out ...we must demand change, and we must become part of that change.”

www.barbettalockart.com

I am a contemporary artist with a fondness for fiber in all its many and varied forms.  I create 2D and 3D mixed media fine art pieces, and fiber in some configuration or the other can usually be found in my work.   Fiber speaks to me because it is so basic and because it seems to have the ability to do things artistically that other materials cannot:  I appreciate its ability to be flexible both in application and appearance, implying or creating movement in one piece, yet being strong and robust in another piece.  I find its chameleon-like qualities to be well suited for my work and vision.

I maintain a working studio in Sacramento, California, USA, where I create, display my work, teach classes and mentor other artists (realizing, of course, that I learn every bit as much from them as they might from me---artistic and professional growth is wonderful, as are the personal connections made).

My work is available to individual art lovers, collectors and corporations, as well as to galleries that share my fascination with and appreciation of, fiber in contemporary art.

My studio, ITSA Studio, is at 4330 24th Street, #2, Sacramento, California, 95822 USA.  Visitors are very welcome at the studio, whether they want to look at or purchase art, shop art supplies or the other treasures offered on my ITSA Studio site, or just have a leisurely visit discussing art and fiber. A cup of tea is always ready for you, but I ask that you contact me through my website(s) to make an appointment so I will be available when you wish to visit.

Artist's statement:  My work is my visual response to the world around me, whether it is the political, social, natural or ethereal world. Whether I am troubled, happy, perplexed or enchanted by something I see, hear or experience, my feelings and reactions to that event will eventually find their way into my art.  To me, art is communication at its most pure, whether it is in the form of dance, music, the written word, the visual arts, or some other artistic format, it is a way to be authentic, honest and real, and above all, to be heard.  

Location:  Sacramento, California, USA
Online shops:  barbettalockart, itsastudio
Social Media:  LinkedIn
Memberships:  Surface Design Association 
Languages spoken:  English, Spanish (somewhat)
   Fiber-ese…it is its own language, isn’t it?

"Para los Desaparecidos"

floor fan 'cage', misc. fabrics, mirror, yarn, thread

20"Diameter x 4.5"D

©2006 Barbetta Lockart

“Para los desaparecidos del mundo. Nunca olvidaremos

sus corazones, sus almas, sus caras. Uno podrías serlo

tu... uno podría serlo yo.

 For the 'disappeared' of the world. We will not forget

their hearts, their souls, their faces. They could be you...they could be me.

Tags:  Fiber mosaic, FiberScapes, collage, recycled, textile, threads, felting, mannequins, stones

Salley Mavor

www.weefolkstudio.com

I am a fiber artist and children's book illustrator. My fabric relief sculptures are photographed and reproduced in picture books. The books are not just for children--they're also used as art and reference books for all ages. I've also written the instruction book for adults, Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects.

Salley Mavor

Artist's statement:  I have had a life-long fascination with little things and needlework. Toward the end of art school, I rediscovered my childhood delight in sewing and creating miniature scenes. Leaving traditional illustration mediums behind, but still interested in narrative work, I taught myself stitching and fiber art techniques, which I used in my class assignments. For me, manipulating materials with my hands with a needle and thread was so much more satisfying than rendering with a pencil or brush. I found that I could communicate my ideas more clearly this way and that my hands would direct me in a compelling way.

My early pieces were soft sculpture, and then turned flatter, with raised figures and objects on a fabric background. I came up with the term “fabric relief” in 1982 to better describe my evolving method. My 3-dimensional pictures resemble miniature, shallow stage sets, with scenery, props and characters telling a story. I embroider, wrap, appliqué and paint different materials and found objects to create scenes in relief, with figures imposed on an embellished fabric background. My work is decorative and detailed, full of patterns from nature, all stitched by hand.

For the past 20 years, I’ve been working in the field of illustration, making artwork which is then photographed and printed in children’s books. The original fabric relief pictures have a second life when they are mounted and framed under glass in shadow boxes, ready to show and sell as individual pieces. Through my books, I hope to inspire children as well as adults to see art in fresh and unexpected ways.

Location:  Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Online shops:  Amazon, Wee Folk Enchanting Projects

Blog:  weefolk

Memberships:  SAQA, SCBWI

Languages spoken:  English

Detail of Self Portrait by Salley Mavor: a personal history of fashion, fabric relief, 2007, 12”H x 12” W x 1”D

Click on the slide show images to go to Salley's books on Amazon:

Tags:  mixed media, found objects, wool felt, dolls, beads, wood, RISD

Meg Hannan - Rag Sky Art Studio

 

www.meghannan.com

My journey into the microcosmic world of Fabric Jewels, coincided with my arrival at Artwood Studios in Seattle in 1985. I have made my home and studio here in two former school classrooms since then. Every bit of it is used in the course of this little rodeo. I share my life with my princely cat, Mister Mustafa, and the other artists, and their families, who work and dwell in the school with me. I have been assisted in the studio by a chain of spectacular young interns who help me grow and keep me focused. It’s a lively and fertile ground for shared art inspiration, lessons in community and opening of hearts.

Making and selling my original fiber millefiori jewelry has been my full time profession for over twenty-five years. To create my Fabric Jewels, I fully saturate fabrics and fibers with glue, roll them up and when dry, slice the roll cross-section. It’s about getting inside the heart of the fabric through the window on the edge and painting little paintings inside that view. Color is key. And fiber, well, what’s not to love? The process is ever challenging and evolving. I investigate, contemplate, and intend. There are surprises and rewards. You can learn much more about it on my website.

I sell my work nationally at Quilt, Fiber and Bead Shows and through Museums, Galleries and Shops. The link between the creator that flows through me and the audience who appreciates my work is crucial. I am truly grateful for all the energetic support given me over all these years. This connection brings value and meaning to what I do, that greatly enhances my personal joy in the work’s creation.

As I circle the building’s property on my late night 2 am walks, I fall deeper and deeper into this plot of earth. I do not own it, but it is mine. The dark edge of the treetops sways with spirits and calls me to wake and feel this earth, which with all its woes, still astoundingly continues to be paradise here and now.

And so it is too, that as I circle and rustle through the vast and verdant fabric heap I have amassed, even with the struggles to manage all the pieces of my business, my soul finds stillness and peace diving deeper every year into the mystery of the simple and complex act of spinning fabric into jewels.

Artist's statement:  My mission in life is to be and see the Bhudda everywhere, to ever grow in kindness and love and make the passages of whining less and less frequent. Also, I really like it when I can make others laugh and jiminy cricket, I love to laugh too.

Location:  Seattle, Washington, USA

Online shop:  MegHannan

Blog:  meghannan

Languages spoken:  English

Carnival Night Beaded Diamond Pin by Meg Hannan

Tags:  fiber jewelry, millefiori, fabric jewelry, fiber art, wearable art, hearts, recycled art, Meg Hannan, Fabric Jewels, Rag Sky Art Studio, textiles, unique jewelry

Cameron Taylor-Brown

www.CameronTaylor-Brown.com

I am a textile artist, consultant and educator who loves weaving, yarn, color, and design - and enjoy collaborative teaching and learning. I am fortunate to be able to immerse myself in many aspects of textiles.  I maintain a weaving studio,  teach all over the country, and represent several yarn distributors in Southern CA and AZ.  In 2011, I launched ARTSgarage - a textile resource center and reference library open by appointment.

My website shows images of my work and a complete list of classes. Please contact me if you wish to purchase artwork, are interested in taking a class or would like to hire me to teach.  

Artist's statement:   My artwork reflects a passion to shape order out of chaos—to start with bits of thread and create something complex and satisfying where nothing existed before.  As I weave, I embrace and celebrate the ancient heritage and language of woven cloth. The rhythms and interplay of pattern, color and texture fascinate me, and the tactile quality of the actual fiber is extremely satisfying. I thrive on the challenges and opportunities presented to me as I move forward to explore new and interesting possibilities.  

Location:  Los Angeles, California, USA

Blog:  camerontaylor-brown

Memberships:

   California Fibers
   Designing Weavers
   Friends of Fiber Art
   The Spinning and Weaving Association
   Handweavers Guild of America  
   Weavolution

Languages spoken:  English

"Indigo Dreams #1", Weaving by Cameron Taylor-Brown

Tags: fiber artist, textile artist, handweaver, handweaving, weaving teacher, creativity, collaborative learning, colorist, color classes, textile library

California Fibers

www.californiafibers.com

"Ahh", Valentyna Royenko-Simpson

Since its founding in 1970, California Fibers has established itself as the premier Southern California contemporary fiber artist group. Diverse, creative, imaginative work is expressed in weaving, basketry, sculpture, quilting, tapestry, surface design, wearables, knitting, crochet, felting and mixed media.

Mission:  California Fibers was founded in 1970 in San Diego, CA with the purpose of providing professional advancement for contemporary fiber artists.  Many of its members are well represented in museums and private collections and are recipients of prestigious awards from around the world.  

Location:  San Diego, California, USA

Blog:  californiafibers.blogspot.com

Memberships:  Surface Design Association
   Friends of Fiber Art International
   Fiber Art magazine
   American Craft
   Visions Art Museum
   Oceanside Museum of Art
   Mingei International Museum

Languages spoken:  English

Out-of-Order by Christie Dunning
Digital print on cotton, hand-dyed cotton fabrics, 
cotton embroidery floss, paint. 
Sewn, embroidered, painted. 18" H x 24" W.

Shoreline by Polly Jacobs Giacchina
date palm, bamboo and caning
18”x12”x11”

   

  

Tags:  contemporary, tapestry, artist, fibers, textiles, fiber arts, sculpture, surface design,
professional

FibreHeart

 http://fibreheart.weebly.com/

I am a 34 year old mother of two. 
I am a jack of all trades kind of crafter.
I started needle felting a little over 2 years ago, but put it aside until now.
I have also been crocheting and knitting for many years.

I am a Felting artist.  I make custom and original needle felt sculptures and paintings for you. 

Needle felting is an involved process that was used over 100 years ago.  It involves taking unspun wool and poking it thousands of times with a special needle to make shapes.

I love the old school feel whenever I make a sculpture.  Even though the tools and techniques are more modern you can never shake that feeling:)

I research all commissions with your pictures and pictures from Google and Yahoo.  Nothing is copied.  Pictures are used for reference only.  Every piece is carefully handmade.  It is a long process but the results are the beautiful sculptures and paintings you see here.

Artist's Statement:  All things Fibre, Made from the Heart-FibreHeart.  

Location:  Ontario, Canada

Online shop:  firbreheart

Social media:  Twitter

Languages spoken:  English

Needle Felted Pets by FibreHeart

Tags:  Needle felt, dogs, wool, pet lovers, handmade, sculptures, OOAK, cats, pets, gifts

Leisa Rich

 

www.monaleisa.com

I am a fiber artist working in 2D, 3D and installation format using free motion stitching as my primary method. In addition to my conceptual, non-functional works, I also make unique items for body and home for my Etsy shop and stores and gallery shops. I also teach at arts centers, run the after school art program at a private school in Atlanta and conduct workshops and arts events. I have been featured on the PBS artist special “IN CONTEXT”; featured in the books, “The Best of America Sculpture Artists and Artisans” Kennedy Publishing and “Quilt National 2009” Lark Books and exhibit locally, nationally and internationally. I hold MFA and BFA degrees in Fibers and a Bachelor of Education in Art.

Artist's Statement:  At age four, while in the hospital for deafness, my mother made Barbie doll clothes for me to dress my Barbie and Ken in. One dress in particular, made of a fiery red satin, provoked my infatuation with the tactile qualities inherent to textiles and fiber, and my interest in working 3 dimensionally.

I am involved with continuous exploration and development of the ways which man-made materials can be formed into work that references nature or natural systems and how, when I magnify these human-made “systems”, they form a new reality. This attempt is in response to my dissatisfaction with the impact of human behavior on the natural world. I am seeking to create a unique world of my own design, made from that I shun and that I embrace.

In my 3 dimensional and installation works, I address this by looking at items usually ignored: a small stone kicked aside while walking, a bit of broken glass, a fossil, a shard of twisted metal, a shell, leftover plastic, a microscopic cell. I transform those simple, ordinary objects into the extraordinary in order to give them greater significance. Using the power of scale—from minuscule to gargantuan—I portray and bring to notice an important essence I see in each object.

The 2 dimensional, somewhat Neo-Surrealist fiber pieces I am creating interject personal storytelling into a broad visual commentary on that dysfunctional society. My wall works at first glance might be likened to that of a painting - an initial impression of color and form -but the viewer of my work is usually confused by a texture unlike that in painting and is then sucked in for a closer look. I want that element of hidden surprise to grab, so that they are drawn in to my story.

Feminists might postulate that my use of fabric and the intricacy of the stitching in the works harks back to the days of quilting bees, when women shared stories, solved the problems of the day and bonded tightly as they worked with tiny stitch. As society has become more complex and humans increasingly disconnected from each other and from nature, artists like myself end up holed up alone, a stranded worker bee…transforming what I can, a bit at a time.

I live and teach in Atlanta, Georgia. I have been married for 24 years, have two beautiful daughters and I will soon become a grandmother for the first time!

"Amoeba Mushroom" Fiber Sculpture by Leisa Rich

Location:  Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

Online shop:  richmade

Blog: monaleisa.posterous  
Other social media: Twitter

Memberships:  

   South East Fiber Art Alliance
   Surface Design Association
   American Craft Council

Languages spoken:  English 

"No Sense Crying Over Spilled Milk: Reason #2 LUST"
2D Fiber Art by Leisa Rich

Tags:  fiber, art quilt, embroidery, sculpture, stitching, quilt, 2D, 3D, installation, free motion stitching

Fairytale Incorporated

www.fairytaleincorporated.com

In a one hundred year old barn perched upon a sand dune in Saugatuck Michigan, there you will find Fairytale Incorporated. Inside you will discover the divine madness of a buzzing sewing machine, a lovely alchemist that resides in the form of a kiln, and the most important ingredient of all, wild laughter and humming happiness.   All allowing  the production of delightful accouterments for the heart, home and soul.   

-Lesa Werme

"Be with those who help your being."  

-Rumi

"To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."  

-Pablo Picasso

Location:  Saugatuck, Michigan, USA

Online shop: fairytaleinc

Blogs: fairytaleincorporated, fairytaletreasury

Languages spoken:  English

  Fabric Treasure Box by Fairytale Incorporated

Tags: jewelry box, recipe box, fabric, quilted, fabric covered, lamp shade

Dragon House of Yuen

www.dragonhouseofyuen.etsy.com

I have always loved animals and have spent my whole life with many wonderful friends so it was only natural for my art to feature my first love. I have a great affinity with hares, rabbits and all kinds of deer and antelopes.

I also love to write and have incorporated my short stories with my textile soft sculptures to give each one a positive and hopeful story.  My stories always carry some sort of sage advice or small wisdoms.

I create my sculptures so that they all come alive with endearing personalities and quaint traits and when you look into their glistening eyes you can feel that they are alive too.

To me the most important aspect of appreciating art is to enjoy and love what you see so all my creations come from my heart and hopefully will bring a smile to your face and will touch your heart.

My fine art is exhibited in local galleries in Scotland

-Annette Tait

Artist's Statement:  I am committed to making the world a better place by sharing my deep love of animals and hope that all who are touched by my work are also inspired to care for and love the animals of this fragile planet, and in turn protect and respect our planet.

I use as many vintage and not-new and thrift materials as possible in my work and recycle and reuse all my packing materials. I particularly love printed fabrics of animals and Scottish tweeds.

I am dedicated to my art and will only ever create positive works that spread love and hope and encourage others to do the same so that their lives and hearts may be enriched.

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Online Shops:

   dragonhouseofyuen  (Etsy)
   dragonhouseofyuen (web)
   hare-preservation-trust.co.uk/shop
       (Hare Preservation Trust's website)

Blog: dragonhouseofyuen

Membership: Artisan Gallery Team  (Etsy)

Languages spoken:  English, rusty Russian

 "Baby Squirrels", Soft Sculpture by the Dragon House of Yuen

Tags: hares,  rabbits, adorable, inspirational, caring, tweeds, vintage cottons, squirrels, soft sculptures, companions