On Painting
On Painting: My Artist’s Statement
Today’s my birthday. In honor of my birthday (which is also my Grandpa’s birthday) I thought I’d share my thoughts on and journey to painting, including the role my Grandpa and Grandma played in inspiring me to pursue this craft.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’ve recently taken up painting as a way to step away from screen time and have something creative to turn to when I’m not watching Miles. I wanted a hobby that I could spend just a few minutes on when Miles was napping or spend hours on when Eric and Miles were out doing their own thing. Not many hobbies are that versatile, but painting turned out to be the perfect outlet for me.
Inspired by the classic bowtie quilt pattern, which dates back to the 1880s, and is also referred to as the Colonial Bow Tie, Peekhole or Lover's Knot.
My work is inspired by quilting’s very long history, with the oldest surviving quilt dating back to the 1300s and the practice being traced back to ancient civilizations across several continents. I love that it has many uses including clothing, bedding, and sometimes armor, if you can believe it. I’m fascinated that its purpose was once strictly utilitarian but evolved to become works of art that are now found in museums the world over. I admire that they can be made from scraps of fabric used for other purposes so that nothing goes to waste. But what intrigues me the most is that they are passed down as heirlooms, connecting generations whose time on earth may not have overlapped. Personally, I have a treasure trove of quilts made by my grandma and great grandma and as I make my paintings I think of them and hope my paintings might also be passed down as heirlooms one day.
I never learned how to sew, though I did try several times - it just wasn’t for me, so my legacy will not be made in the form of quilts. The idea of painting quilt block patterns dates back to either colonial America or 2001, depending on who you ask. As a historian, these contradictory stories - especially given the large dissonance between time periods, amuse me. I first saw a barn quilt, a large painting of a quilt block pattern meant to decorate the side of a barn, on a garden tour with my mom. I loved the crisp lines, the choice of colors, and the homage to another form of folk art that meant so much to me personally.
Inspired by the Maple Leaf quilt pattern, a traditional design and originating in the late 1800s.
Though I’ve long collected original works of art, I’d never felt the creative pull until I became a stay-at-home mom following the birth of my son, Miles. I visited my husband’s aunt one day and she showed me the art studio she and her husband had in their basement where they make stained glass together and she paints. It was on that day that I felt the first creative tug: I want to paint. I want to paint quilt patterns in honor of the generations before me who I love and miss dearly.
As I thought more about it, I was inspired by the artists whose pieces I’ve collected over the years. I learned about taping to create crisp edges from Aly Ytterberg and I was inspired by Jenny McGee who adds texture to her paintings with sand and crushed pearls. But to make it my own, I decided to add crushed opals, my birthstone, instead. My grandparents gifted me several opals when I was younger and I always think of my grandpa, who I shared a birthday with, when I wear an opal. Famous Chicagoan Frank Lloyd Wright was known to add sand to the paint he put on the walls of the homes he designed, which makes me like the technique even more.
I’m still playing around with my style, experimenting with new textures, quilt patterns, and ways to apply the crushed pearls. It really is a lot of fun to create works of art, whether to give to friends and family like my grandmother did with her quilts and crochet work, or to sell them and (hopefully) help pay for my art supplies.
