Artist's Statement

3:00am.  I’m reading a book on writing about one’s art and now I’m propelled to write about the series of quilts based on Toni Morrison’s novels.  It hit me some weeks ago while I was sketching the design for Song of Solomon that I had been wrestling with narration of the books (Narrative Quilts is not something I associate with my own work) versus my emotional and cognitive responses to them.  It is the latter that I’m trying to capture; it is the latter that keeps me re-reading her novels. 

By focusing on my emotional and cognitive responses, I will in turn, create more authentic pieces and maintain artistic integrity.  It was a wa-la! moment for me and I could breath.  Why on earth would I attempt a narrative in visual form behind Morrison, the Divine Queen Narrator? 

I have 3 sketches, 1 for The Bluest Eye, 1 for Sula, and 1 for Song of Solomon.  I’ve started on the study for Sula because it is the one that is most rooted in my own emotional imagery.  I’m digging what I’ve done with the other 2, but I’m believing they require something more before I transfer them in cloth.

The book I’m reading is Art-Write: The Writing Guide for Visual Artists. It was the prompt question “How did you make this?” that started my wheels to churning to the point that I rose up and came to the computer to write this post.  The detailed answer to this question would vary depending on each quilt. I love the freedom in creating art quilts; the freedom in the variety of processes to explore. The finished piece is quilt as metaphor and symbol. The quilt as documentation of my living: breathe, thought, soul. 

It took me 45 minutes to write this.  I'm heading back to bead to sleep.  Peace.