Ann Robinson, a.r.t.

annrobinsontextiles.com

After many years of teaching and advising students on campuses including the University of Wisconsin and Stanford, budget cuts left me without a classroom. Finally, I could focus full time on my inherent artistic interests dyeing and weaving yarn.

Today I design and weave one-of-a-kind textiles using traditional looms, respecting and preserving an ancient form of art. I have four looms in my home studio and use only natural fibers: cotton, silk, tencel (fiber made from wood), bamboo and soy.

My website, annrobinsontextiles.com, serves as a gallery and as a direct communication link. The interactive process between the artist and the interested party begins with a communication (personal, telephone, email) outlining what s/he has in mind, a piece on the site or a custom option.

Artist's statement:  My goal is to teach the art of weaving to as many people as possible because weaving teaches us much more than how to make cloth. Learning to weave provides focus and discipline and allows us to practice patience and endurance. These skills, I believe, are necessary to maintain one's sanity in this chaotic world.

Location:  Sacramento, California, USA

Blog:  annrobinsontextiles 

Memberships:

   Handweavers Guild of America
   Sacramento Weavers and Spinners Guild
   Sacramento Center for the Textile Arts 

Languages spoken:  English

Hand woven scarves and textiles by Ann Robinson.

Therese May

http://www.theresemay.com

I work with interior designers, art consultants, art collectors, and art lovers wanting to create an uplifting and colorful living area or work space that reflects their personality and inspires them to make their dreams come true. My art quilts add color and vibrancy to your home and office.

I also teach workshops for quilt lovers who love to make quilts and expand their creativity.

Artist statement:  The walls are covered with art, and everywhere you look, there is some sign that art quilts are being made. I love the idea that "Home is where the Heart is" and I also feel that "Home is where the Art is". My Art is from my Heart, most definitely. I also believe that art is for healing. Each and every one of us is creative. Each child is born with creativity. This is part of who we are. Each person is unique and capable of expressing something which reflects his/her own individual quality. There is a Creative Spiritual Energy which flows through us all, and which connects us all together. I believe that we can use this energy to create whatever we want to experience in life. Some of the tools that I use for my creative expression are meditation, prayer, and journaling, drawing, and painting, quilt making, and working with clay. I truly believe that I am fed by Spirit when I do these things, and that over the years, my life has been transformed because of my creative and Spiritual practice.

Location:  San Jose, California, USA

Online shops:

   theresemay  (Etsy)
   theresemay/bumperstickers  (Zazzle)
   Inspiration Quilts
   Recent Work
   Abundance Quilts
   E-Books
   Little Bags of Affirmations
   Artful Home

Brick and Mortar:

   Therese May Art Shop
   1068 The Alameda
   Suite 4
   San Jose, CA 95126
   Open by Appointment

Blog:  theresemay
Social Media:   
   YouTube Channel
   Twitter 

Memberships:

   SAQA
   CQFA
   Alliance for American Quilts

Languages spoken:  English

"Boy and Girl Elves", Art Quilt by Therese May

Tags:  quilts, art quilts, embellished quilts, painted quilts, quilted portraits, textile artist, quilt workshops, quilting classes, wall quilts, fabric, machine quiilting

Sally Gould Wright Quilt Artist

www.SallyWrightQuilts.com

I began my quilting life in the mid 1990s when inspired by Alex Anderson on Simply Quilts. I thought,  "Why not make a quilt for my son's bed?"  I was hooked. Soon my background in art history and the decorative arts led me to leave more traditional quilting patterns behind in favor of a more personal expression. I love the instant response I see when people view my quilts. I believe that art quilts can add so much to a home or office environment and working closely with a client on a commission is one of my favorite modes of communication.  

Artist statement:  As an artist, I am especially drawn to color and texture which I use to create images in cloth. The natural world, decorative art and architecture all inspire my work.  I usually use my own sketches and photographs as the basis for my quilt designs. My work is mostly representational and incorporates multiple techniques including piecing, applique' and textile paints to fulfill my vision.  I also use embellishments: hand beading, textile trim and yarns.  I'm especially interested in free motion machine quilting to add detail, depth and dimension to my work.

Location:  Los Angeles, California, USA
Online shop:  sallyquilts

Blog:  sallygouldwright 

Membership:  Quilts on the Wall Fiber Artists  

Languages spoken:  English , some French

"Stairway to Heaven", Art Quilt by Sally Gould Wright

Linda A. Miller

www.lindamillerdesigns.com

I am a fiber artist with a love of cloth, color, movement, texture…and the desire to share beauty with others.  I also have an ongoing community project:  The Bhavana Project, based on Tibetan prayer flags. Please visit!  The third set of flags is currently in progress.

Artist statement:  I came to quilt making in the 1990’s with a varied background in fine arts and textiles.  A love of fabric made the fiber arts medium an easy choice once I realized that drawing, painting or printmaking skills could be added to quilting.  The desire to slow down and feel the cloth beneath my fingers continually nudges me back to my roots in hand work, especially embroidery, which I incorporate into my pieces.  I thrive on the unpredictability of the art making process, and find manipulating the fabric surface with paint, water, heat or thread a wonderful way to play.  This layering technique stretches not only the cloth’s textural potential, but my creative visualization.   

My imagery is inspired by flowing water, the power of the sun, or the interplay between dynamic movement and stillness.  Inspiration is linked to being present in the moment.  For me, creative practice and meditation practice go hand in hand.  Both ground and nourish my journey of discovery.  In turn, I delight in sharing what I have learned with others so that they can also open to their unique creative voice.

Location:  Culver City, CA,  USA

Blog:  lindamillerdesigns

Other social media:  LinkedIn

Memberships:  

   Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA)
   Surface Design Association
   Quilts on the Wall

Languages spoken:  English, some German

Fluid Fissure 2 by Linda A. Miller

Tags:  water, flow, sun, embroidered, paint, energy, hand work, prayer flags

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

OmMadeThreads

Nurtured from childhood to create with my hands,  I continue the journey of playing piano, working with watercolors/collage art, taking photos, creating good-tasting cuisine, and yes, playing with fabric.

Beginning with my first crewel embroidery project at the age of eight (and eventually sewing shortly thereafter), working with fibers has been a great love for me.  I discovered the joy of quilting in 1996 and have never looked back.

I began as a traditional quilter and in the past couple years have ventured into the area of art quilts.  I still return to the my ""roots"" as a quilter, but the freedom of art quilting is definitely feeding my soul.

I am currently a local yoga and health education instructor for local community colleges.  I also have a small holistic health practice here in Southern California.

I enjoy a diverse and interesting life, full of people I love and work I enjoy.

I sell my work through my Etsy site and at local holiday craft and art shows.

I do a combination of machine and hand work on my fiber art pieces.  My quilt art tends to involve raw-edge applique work with rich vibrant batiks.  I also perform my own free motion quilting  from stippling and scroll work to the scripting of words into many of my quilts.

I also do commissions, having recent opportunities to create Tree of Life quilts for many loved ones and Etsy customers.  I offer a basic price scale and work closely with the buyer to create the image they desire.  I have also done custom orders on other quilts as well.  It is a pleasure to "co-create" with the buyer.  I have learned much from the ideas and inspiration of those I create pieces for.

Artist's statement: 

My work is typically a reflection of my life...

A new granddaughter? Baby quilts...
A yoga profession?  Yoga bags...
A sewing hobby?  Pin cushions...
A look at beautiful lilies on the side of the road?  A Calla Lily quilt....

Ultimately, my mission is to create pieces that bring joy to the recipient.  

Location:  Vista, California, USA

Online shop:  OmMadeThreads
Memberships:  Women for Women International 

Languages spoken:  English

Tree of Life Wedding Chuppah by OmMadeThreads

Tags: Quilts, Fiber Art, Embroidery, Free Motion Quilting, Raw Edge Applique, Collage, Nature, Batiks

ITSA Studio

www.itsastudio.com

ITSA Studio is not only my working studio, (Barbetta Lockart Contemporary Art), but it also houses all the wonderful treasures found on my itsastudio.com site.  I carry surface design supplies, jewelry supplies, beads, and wonderful world market items.  Always a bead lover, always a lover and appreciator of all the world’s cultures, and always a creative sort, I put all those interests together and opened a bead shop many years ago.   Closing the shop to get back into my own studio did not change any of that, hence ITSA Studio was created.  Although it is online, I welcome visitors to the studio so they can browse through all the treasures and be dazzled.

Mission:  As artists we all need wonderful items for inspiration, great supplies to work with, and interesting ‘stuff’, as well as the occasional treat for ourselves.  We also sometimes need information from someone familiar with the products/items.  ITSA Studio offers all that and more, including cups of tea, good music…and classes.

Location:  Sacramento, California, USA

Online shops:  itsastudio, barbettalockart

Brick and Mortar:  ITSA Studio is located at 4330 24th Street, #2, Sacramento, California, 95822 USA.  Visitors are very welcome at the studio, whether they want to shop art supplies, beads, or world treasures, discuss techniques, 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 since I don’t have regular ‘retail’ hours.

Membership:  Surface Design Association   

Social Media:  LinkedIn

Languages spoken:  English, Spanish (somewhat), Fiber-ese…it is its own language, isn’t it? 

Find surface design supplies, textile stamps, ethnographic items and work by Barbetta Lockart at ITSA Studio.

Tags:  Foiling, “Kuba Cloth”, “Uygur Silks”, jewelry, “dyed silk”, “African Trade Beads”, “seed beads”, “Hot Sticky Stuff ™”, “Clear Textile Adhesive” textiles

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

DreamWoven

http://dreamwoven.com

DreamWoven provides an uncommon space for your head.

I am a designer with a penchant for hats. My items have been sold to every type of person imaginable. From Divas to Drag Queens, Fashionistas to Home Grown Dread Wearers, to women of Pristine Condition and men of Worldly Charm. Runways to Festivals, from next door to 7000 miles away.

We all need a special place for our head.

My work can be found at Fine Craft Studio, Paso Robles, California.

Location:  Paso Robles, California, USA

Online shops:

   DreamWoven.com
   DreamWoven on Etsy
   DreamWoven on Facebook

Blog:  DreamWoven

Other Social Media:  LinkedIn

Memberships:   

   Studios on the Park
   Paso Robles Art Assocation
Languages spoken:  English

Art For Your Head by DreamWoven

Tags: hat, hats, headwear, couture, accessories, dreads, wool, felt, handmade, milliner, hat designer, dreadlocks, hand dyed wool,

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

Carla Madrigal/Madrigal Embroidery

www.madrigalembroidery.etsy.com

An on-line textile community appears to be a great solution to a  field which can be isolating. I would like to share information and communicate with artists and craftspeople in this arena not only to build friendships but to enhance exposure and to help organize shows and sell. 

Artist's statement:  To continue to create interpretations of the world around me.  Art is a necessary but often neglected part of life which ideally should surround, enlighten, and bring  joy and wonder into our lives. 

Location:  San Francisco, California, USA

Online shop:  madrigalembroidery 

Languages spoken:  English

Embroidered Heart by Madrigal Embroidery

Tags:  colorful, textile art, wearable art, decorative art, re-fashioned, recycled, unique, neck ties, fabric jewelry, custom orders

Kathryn Clark Fine Art

www.kathrynclark.com

Kathryn Clark lives and works in San Francisco. She worked as an urban designer and architect for seven years before becoming a full time artist in 2005. She has a degree in Interior Architecture, but has been an artist for over twenty years.

Her art revolves around reminding people of the beauty of simplicity and awareness of time. Although trained as a painter, her studio slowly became full of remnants of yarn, wire and stacks of linen and burlap. One day, she put the paints and paintbrushes away, pulled out the fabrics and began sewing and layering thread. These tools express the time and effort it takes to create each piece while emphasizing simplicity.

Artist's Statement:  From 1999 to 2004, I worked for a private urban planning firm designing New Urbanist neighborhoods throughout the US.  In 2007, as foreclosures began to occur I questioned the development work I had made during those years. Did I add to this in some way? I was aware early on that these foreclosures were just the beginning of something bigger yet I felt alone when I mentioned it. Few agreed with me or seemed concerned.

I needed to find a way to bring this into my artwork but was unsure how. I wanted to map the affects of this crisis to show viewers who might be unaware how severe the problem has become. Making quilts seemed an ironic solution to this question. It is during times of hardship that people have traditionally made quilts, often resorting to scraps of cloth when so poor they could not afford to waste a single thread of fabric. Foreclosed lots are shown as holes in these quilts. Frequently, half the lots within a block have been foreclosed upon.  These holes question the protective nature of a quilt. Times are so hard now that even a quilt can’t provide the security one needs. The neighborhoods shown are not an anomaly, they are a recurring pattern seen from coast to coast, urban to suburban neighborhoods across the US. The problem has not been solved, it is still occurring, just changing shape, affecting more of us.

Location:  San Francisco, California, USA

Blog:  kathrynclark
Other social media:  twitter

Languages spoken:   English

Foreclosure Boro: Las Vegas, 2011. 12" x 36" 

by Kathryn Clark

Tags:  linen, minimal, conceptual, quilt, boro, pojagi,  fine art, natural, abstract, fiber art

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

Nothing But String

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Nothingbutstring

I am a lover of all things crocheted and knitted.  I currently live in Southern California where I spend most of my time trying to improve my fiber art.  I grew up on the east coast and spent many a day with my Italian grandmother who was a crochet master.  I remember her working on a customer's order with the finest of yarns, making fully lined jackets, skirts and dresses.  Since then I have developed my own style specializing in Irish Crochet thread lace.  I love taking motifs that are over a century old and giving them a new twist for the 21st century. 

Artist's Statement:  I use fine thread and crochet hooks to make rings, bracelets, brooches, necklaces, motifs, buttons and home décor.  I specialize in Irish lace embellishments which I often use to enhance knitted and crocheted scarves, fingerless gloves, and geeky accessories for women and men.

My work reflects and age old cottage industry which was lost but is once again found.

-Emily

Location:  Corona, California, USA

Online Shop:  Nothingbutstring

Languages spoken:  English and Italian

 Nothing But String translates century old crochet 

motifs into new ones!

Tags:  crochet, knitting, accessories, wholesale, fiber jewelry, fingerless gloves, lace, appliques, embellishments

Hofmonsters

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Hofmonsters

Hi!  My name is Vanessa Orantes. I make recycled-sweater monsters, called Hofmonsters.  I have always made things with my hands. I love making and collecting  jewelry, I crochet, and sew. I love material, especially natural fibers. Hofmonsters came out of this love.

I started collecting natural fiber sweaters, going to all my local antique stores to find vintage and antique buttons, and I started sewing!

I want kids and adults to have toys that they will remember (and hopefully keep) their whole lives. Toys that are as unique and individual as they are. All Hofmonsters are made of 100% natural fiber recycled sweaters. They are stuffed with Eco fiber fill (made from corn!). All buttons are either vintage or antique .

 Mission:  To make Eco-conscious, earth friendly toys for children and adults.

Location:  Willits, California, USA

Online shop:  Hofmonsters

Language spoken:  English

Hofmonsters, All Recycled with Eco Fiber!

Tags:  recycled, natural fiber-sweaters, vintage buttons, monsters, fiber art doll, Eco fiber fill, one of a kind, handmade, GREEN

Inside Outside Art

www.insideoutsideart.etsy.com

I grew up with a mother, grandmother and aunts who were skilled quilters and seamstresses willing to share their knowledge.  No matter how hard I tried, my work did not come out as perfect as theirs.  I loved fabric, fibers, color and texture. I tried many different crafts - quilting, embroidery, silk dying, knitting, crocheting  and weaving.   I finally came to the realization that all my work did not have to be perfect. In fact, I liked the idiosyncrasies of my work. I call what I do now "unconventional embroideries."   I finally feel like I have come home. This is where I belong and creating completes me.

Artist's statement:  I chose the name, Inside Outside Art because I felt it described me. I'm a little quirky and I don't always fit inside a box. My work is a little quirky. It's not your standard traditional embroidery.

-Regina Westmoreland

Location:  Benicia, California, USA

Online shop:  insideoutsideart

Memberships:

   Fiber Art/Mixed Media Art
   Stitchin Fingers
   Hand Embroidery Network

Languages spoken:  English

Embroidery by Regina Westmoreland, aka "Inside Outside Art"

Tags:  Embroidery, Etsy, Fabric Art, Textile Art, One of a Kind, Colorful, Handmade, Beaded, Embellished