As an artist I have always been concerned with the ideas of transformation and mystery, the boundaries between reality and illusion. I am intrigued by the potential that even common images or subjects have for being reborn in completely new and different ways.
I am inspired by the amazing alteration of photographic imagery that can be achieved by computer manipulation. First applying the manipulations to the entire image, I then select small areas which are tremendously enlarged to produce the final composition. During this part of the process I am spontaneously responding to the formal considerations of color, shape and line. Once enlarged, the image is printed onto cotton.
I am greatly excited by the ability to transform ordinary photographic material into abstract images of intense color and dynamic composition and am also intrigued by how black stitch sharpens the image and deepens and brightens the hues. While I use black thread as an outlining feature, I also allow it to dance spontaneously inside shapes and to structure the black background areas.
I translate these images into the medium of art quilts because the process of quilting results in a textured surface that adds another dimension to each piece. The edges of my quilts are faced for a clean finish and to imply that the visual elements could extend beyond the borders. I find my inability to predict how any one photograph will or will not result in a usable composition endlessly stimulating and wonderfully rich in surprises.