Art Quilt. Fiber, fabric paints, embroidery thread and beads.
Art quilting. Stitching reads, " Too poor to paint, and too proud to whitewash."
I have been truly fascinated by the use of cloth as a collage element. Within the last few years, I have been experimenting with fabric, beading, painting, printmaking, and found objects that can be attached to cloth. My fiber collages have developed from personal experience and interests. I love the way textile art can push the boundaries of traditional quilting and sewing. I like to add color and textures to the fabrics with anything I can find. So, I am always searching for buttons, trim, unusual beads, old jewelry, rubber stamps, paint, and any other items to make my fiber collages unique. I really don’t think people realize the selections of fabrics, threads and embellishments that available today and how much time and energy goes into making one of my fiber pieces.
I want to make my artwork memorable, so I spend a lot of time scrutinizing every piece of cloth and design element. When people are passing by my work, I want them to stop and stare. To me, that is the biggest compliment anyone can pay me. I like the way traditional sewing and quilting are evolving into a contemporary art form. Being a painter and fine artist, I find textiles have been a great way of expressing myself.
Who Is SuSan SoRrELL???
With a needle and thread I will turn the art world on its ear.
I raise abandon beads that people have discarded in thrift stores.
I color outside the lines . . . and do it with permanent markers.
I like the color red, because it is obnoxious, vibrant and loud.
Fiber art is not something you eat for breakfast . . . you hang it on your wall.
I am inspired by lots of artists and creative people . . . living and dead.
I pull my ideas out of the air like a magician.
I have a college degree in Visual Arts, so that makes me know less about how not to save money.
All my clothes are from Old Navy and have paint stains on them.
I am an artist . . . watch me paint the world clueless.
Susan lives in Greenville, South Carolina and is married to John DeLeon. She teaches online fiber art classes through her own and other art websites.
