Artist Statement – The impetus for my work is the world around me—its shapes, patterns, colors and textures. I work toward a goal in each quilt I make, having a particular concept in mind that is sometimes specific, sometimes very broad. I use many different construction techniques, traditional and contemporary–determined by the content of the piece–so my quilts are often very different from each other. In making the quilt, I allow the design to evolve according to the physical processes, that is, how the dye flows on the fabric, how my arm moves with a rotary cutter, where the last curved piece ends, or how the last line of quilting makes the fabric lay. Mastering the use of dye on fabric has allowed me to expand the kinds of quilts I can make, and now, more frequently, the fabric I dye is itself a source for the design and structure of a quilt. I consider each piece to be a step in my growth as an artist, something I had to try, a process to learn from, never an end, but always an attempt to express meaning.

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Focus on Texture – There are lots of ways to organize your thinking about design. Every book has a slightly different twist on it. In this presentation, you will see how Ann thinks about design, the six elements that we use as tools to contribute to the coherence of your overall composition. Do these elements create the kind of balance, the amount of variety and the unity that you want? Does it ultimately enhance the meaning you intend to convey? To this end, Ann will focus on the element of texture, one that is a particularly essential part of what quilters and fiber artists get to use. It is an integral part of the meaning we put in our work and we need to pay attention to what functions it performs for us.