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

Lotta Helleberg

www.lottahelleberg.com

I am a Swedish born textile artist with a background in graphic design and print making. I work primarily with linen utilizing a technique in which leaves and other plant material are coated with paint and pressed onto fabric. I am also exploring natural dyes and eco-printing, where the plants themselves release color pigments which bond with the fabric. The resulting impressions are incorporated into quilts, fabric collages, and a variety of functional and decorative objects, such as pillows, table linens, and purses.

The beauty of nature is a constant inspiration and a common theme in my work. I am also committed to environmentally sound production methods, including the use of water based, non-toxic inks and dyes, and natural, or reclaimed fabric. All my pieces are created by hand in my Charlottesville, Virginia, studio.  My work can also be found at The Barn Swallow in Ivy, Virginia.

Artist's Statement:  I am in awe of the natural world and the beauty it produces. I try to reflect a sense of that amazement in my art, by using and replicating imagery from nature in my dyes and prints. I also cherish the slow process involving dyeing, printing, and stitching by hand. Ultimately I believe that the objects we surround ourselves with should be both purposeful and beautiful. Something well made and delightful will bring joy into our everyday lives.

Location:  Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

Online shops:  Etsy, Big Cartel

Blog:  inleaf

Memberships:  Fiber Transformed

Languages spoken:  English, Swedish

 "fallow fields no 1" by Lotta Helleberg

leaf printed plant dyed linen, machine stitched

reclaimed oak frame, 15" x 15"

  

Tags: leaf printing, eco printing, handmade, linen, art quilt, fiber collage, botanical, natural dyes, stitching, textile

 

Loriemccown

http://artpluscraft.blogspot.com

I am a professional artist working mainly in paint, fiber, paper and yarn. I love all  things fiber. I hold an art degree from Cal State Long Beach in California. All my work is personal and influenced by folk art, stories, music and history. I adore ancient civilizations. I incorporate  meaning in my work, from the colors I choose to what is depicted on the surface. I prefer to not let the medium dictate what I do, but have it serve the greater meaning of what the piece is about. I'm not a 'gadget' girl, I like direct application of whatever I'm using. It's not about the medium for me, and I do not 'play' when it comes to making art. I am continually amazed at the beauty and talent I see around me.

Artist's statement: Artistic endeavors in paint, paper, fiber and yarn. Art heals in ways we never expect it to.

Location: Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA

Online shop: Loriemccown (Etsy)

Blog: art plus craft

Social Media: facebook, twitter

Memberships:

   SAQA
   American Craft Council
   Surface Design Association

Languages spoken: English

"Unfurling"   32" x 42"  by Lorie McCown

Tags: art quilts, embellish, sewing, stitching, hand work, fiber, textile, color, context, content, meaning, beauty

Cindy Grisdela Art Quilts

"Playing with Colors" by Cindy Grisdela

www.cindygrisdela.com

I'm a fiber artist specializing in abstract contemporary quilts for the wall. I'm particularly interested in color and the way colors interact with each other to enhance our experience of the world. Many of my designs draw on the traditions of the past, but reinterpret them in a contemporary way, reflecting the fact that I started out many years ago with traditional patterns and techniques.

In the last decade, I  began to feel the need to create my own designs so the fiber art I made would be truly mine. Since then, my work has been shown in local and regional shows in the Washington, DC area, as well as nationally in venues from New York to California. I'm thrilled when one of my pieces speaks to someone else so they want to live with it in their home or office. My work is represented in a number of private collections, including a recent work commissioned by a collector for a contemporary home in Hollywood Hills, CA. I sell my work through my website, as well as at the Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA and The Artisans shop in McLean, VA.

Artist's Statement: Creating art quilts is thrilling because I never know exactly what the design is going to look like until the piece is finished. Because there’s no pattern to follow, seeing the interplay of color and design on the design wall in my studio is integral to my creative process. Often the initial design idea is only faintly recognizable at the end because the choices of fabric, color and design interact in unexpected ways as the piece emerges. I like to use fabric the way a painter might use paint to create a mood, develop a contrast, or explore an idea. Once the top design is pieced, I add dimension to my work by quilting the layers together with whimsical free motion quilting—a process similar to drawing with a needle and thread.

Location: Great Falls, Virginia, USA
Online store: website
Blog: Cindy Grisdela
Memberships: Studio Art Quilt Associates
     Potomac Fiber Art Gallery
     Great Falls Studios
Languages spoken: English

"Color My World" by Cindy Grisdela

Cindy Grisdela Art Quilts on Facebook

Tags:  art quilts, contemporary quilts, abstract, color study, fiber art, textile art, improvisation, handstitching