Turning Point

I had taken a week long workshop with Susan Shie at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg, Tennessee back in 1997. Susan had brought for sale small acrylic paintings on fabric that she had made. I bought the cat that is the center of this piece because it looked just like "Snatch", the cat belonging to my son and his wife. Also, she had painted in stripes that looked just like the striped fabric I was working with in my main project for that workshop. There was no way to resist buying it.


I had fun using Susan's "relaxed" construction techniques (no cutting templates, and exposed raw edges) as well as embellishing it with big stitch embroidery and doodads. The spontaneity of making this piece around Susan's whimsical painting as well as being exposed to her work and influence for a week was a turning point for my developing style. Up until then I was most comfortable designing within a grid. I designated this piece as a collaboration between Susan and me.

"Snatch 'n Fish" - 12"x14" -1997
acrylic painting, hand-dyed & commercial fabrics, cotton floss, beads & stuff
In the collection of Kemper & Terra Durand - Evanston, Illinois