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New: Learn more about current exhibits and talks by Donna.
Fabric has always been my starting point for
inspiration. I love collecting fabrics, cutting them up and
blending them together to create something new out of the
mixture. The fabrics speak to me, telling me how to use them.
I let what I see in the fabrics suggest images and shape my
work.
My background experience includes a degree in
American Studies, a Masters in Education, and a job with the
federal government, which brought me to Washington, D.C. in
1970. After I left the government, I began making quilts in
1981, working by hand using traditional patterns, like Log
Cabin and triangle blocks. Then I started to work by machine,
using strips in free-form combinations including curved piecing.
This allowed me to work more spontaneously, letting my quilts
evolve on the design wall from pieced units which combined
to create the design.
My recent work is inspired by my response to
nature, particularly my love of the ocean, the sky and rocks
of the northern coasts and the spectacular mountain ranges
found in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and the Western National
Parks. The power and beauty of these images in nature and
their eternal qualities speak to me and affect me emotionally.
My landscape quilts reflect my interpretations of the changing
seasons, the pounding surf, the austere quality of rocks and
mountains worn away by storms and geologic changes.
Now I am truly painting with fabric. I work intuitively,
composing on the design wall with strips and organic shapes
cut from fused fabric. The process of creation flows quickly.
I become absorbed in the process, following where the piece
takes me, working quickly to create the images. Waves of color
flow into each other; the patterns and textures in the fabrics
dance. One work leads to another, forming a series of related
images, imaginary landscapes of my mind.
My quilts have been exhibited nationally and
internationally, won prizes in juried competitions, and become
part of many corporate and private collections. I also teach
classes in quilting, interpreting patterns in a free-form, non-traditional
way.
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