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Q&A
continued
My technique
is driven by the need to keep creativity present as far into the
process as possible, and to eliminate as much (of what I perceive
as) busywork as possible. Also, the physical difficulty of handling
large quilt tops has led me to work with smaller units that are
completely finished (batted, backed, and quilted) before they are
assembled into one large piece.
'Of all the
really bad things that can happen to you, making a mistake with
a piece of fabric is not one of them.' This new perspective has
given me much more freedom, especially from the 'rules' of quilting.
(I don't know who told me those rules, but they were certainly internalized.)"
Q: What
led you to begin making art?
A: "I
don't know, but I have a need to do it."
Q: Do
you now, or have you earlier, work(ed) in another medium?
A: "Yes,
in music. I'm currently a composer and saxophonist."
Q: What
are your goals in creating art?
A: "One
goal is to keep creativity present as far into the process as possible,
and to eliminate as much (of what I perceive as) busywork as possible.
Another goal is to allow the quilt to tell me what to do, instead
of trying to force something that may have been my original idea
but just isn't working now."
Q: What
is your studio like? space, atmosphere, noise, etc?
A: "It
used to be a spare bedroom. It now has one wall of floor-to-ceiling
fabric, one flannel covered design wall, and one wall of shelves
containing books and many plastic boxes full of scraps and notions
and stuff. I have two sewing machines, a Singer nearly as old as
I am and a Bernina 1020. There is hardly anything better than sitting
at the sewing machine on a summer day, listening to a baseball game
and making a quilt."
Q: What
other activities do you enjoy?
A: "Reading
mysteries, singing in the church choir, spending time with my husband,
following baseball (I made an Oakland A's quilt and had players
and coaches and broadcasters sign it.)
Q: Is
there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
A: "I've
been Artist-in-Residence at Sunnyvale (CA) Presbyterian Church since
1995, which includes working with fabric on a very large scale,
getting many people involved, and not being in total control of
everything. Having cancer showed me how little control I actually
do have, and so, 'letting go' of many things has been a continuing
but often difficult process. (After surgery, chemotherapy, radiation,
and physical therapy, I am feeling great and getting good reports
from the doctors!)"
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Top
of page | Credits |
Copyright 2001 by Gregory L. Merrell
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