Elizabeth Ann Garlington's Gallery

About this Gallery:

My Work as a Fiber Artist

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am a Fiber Artist.  I craft narrative art quilts via the process of fabric collage.  My body of work includes large format wall quilts as well as small scale narrative work—all created with stitchery and fabric.  My approach to crafting art quilts is fresh, new, and spirited in response to the ageless craft of the quilt.  Like a painter with a brush, I view fabrics as akin to tubes of paint—all ready to be mixed, blended, and splattered on my quilted canvas.  I combine a variety of fabrics and embellishments into highly textured fabric collage surfaces using the strategies of machine piecing and appliqué.  My mastery of the principles and elements of design allows me to alter many of “the rules” traditionally applied to quilt-making.  A quilt is formally defined as a fabric construction having three layers—a top, middle, and a backing.  My design focus, through the use of luminous fabrics, metallic threads, and a variety of embellishments on the surface of the quilt, adds an additional fourth layer to the completed quilt.  I am fascinated with how layers and layers of fabrics influence each other visually from both near and far—creating luminescence and depth on the quilt’s surface   The common threads of my work are a strong sense of color, composition, and visual impact—all flavored with a sense of whimsy.   Aspects of traditional folk art images, narrative stories, and textile patterns drive my design process.  My making narrative art quilts is a never-ending delight as my curiosity will keep me working diligently at my craft.