Why have you chosen to be “one stray pin”?

I call myself One Stray Pin because I feel unique in my creative pursuits. I consider myself an artist first, and my medium of choice is fabric. And doesn’t that one stray pin lost in the couch stop you in your tracks? I hope you’ve found me ; )

Who are you, really?

In a world where everyone seems to want to be the same, I want to stand out. I strive to learn something new then make it my own. When I was young I learned to make my own clothes, because I saw this as a way to express my unique sense of style. If I could make it, then it was original. I embroidered on my jean jacket and I sewed swim and skating badges to display proudly, I wanted my jacket to say something about me. When it comes to textile art, it’s been a journey to build on learned techniques and create a signature style. I want to say something unique with my art. My latest exploration in dye printing and incorporating these unique fabrics to in my art means that each piece I make is one-of-a-kind. I don’t enjoy making the same things over and over again, I prefer to make enough to explore, understand and enjoy the process, then switch it up and evolve that idea into something new and sew on ; ) 

Why do you do what you do?

It is my insatiable desire to make. I enjoy the process of making one-of-a-kind marks on fabric and turning that into unique one-of-a-kind artwork and products. I love to pass along my creative joy by teaching and inspiring others to find their one-of-a-kind style. I am driven by making yet another unique piece of fabric and the possibilities of what I can do with it. 

Who are you trying to reach?

Like most artists, I want to get my work out in the world and have it seen. It is my hope that I reach like minded creative types who are searching to build on their own skills, ones that are curious about my processes and the journey I take to make and create. I have built up a lot of different skills, after a long career in Graphic Design. My hope is that my textile art and creative journey is seen with the added value of being an established artist.

How do you want students in your workshops to feel?

When I’m teaching workshops, I like to emphasize creativity and originality. My hope is that participants learn many things and take what they learn and apply it in fresh new directions accepting the artist that they are today. I hope that they not only practice and absorb techniques but also believe that what they are making is original and valuable. 

Why do you enjoy being a continual student?

I love discovering and learning new skills and applying them to what I do. I have always felt like I am constantly learning and evolving as an artist. I try to be open to possibilities and challenge myself with the “what if I do this?” I prefer to stay constantly curious, that is when I make the most mistakes and also grow as an artist. I search for that magic moment when creating explosively and the pure excitement I get from that. 

What kind of art and creativity makes you feel limitless or boundless?

When I was a young girl I learned to knit, crochet and embroider from my grandmothers and from my mother. I loved HomeEC in Jr high and started to use my mother’s sewing machine to make stuffed animals and clothes. After high school I went to the Alberta College of Art and Design and studied to be a graphic designer and illustrator. My sister and I together designed our first quilt for my grandmother* to embroider. I love looking at that quilt now and that memory of where it started for me and my love of fabric and textiles. (* Aggie was an original artist, quilter, weaver, embroiderer, knitter, sewer and musician. Women were many things out of necessity back then, she is my inspiration.)

What creative experiences led you here?

In 2005 I put my graphic design career on hold for health reasons, it was during that time I learned more about quilting. It didn't take me long to connect and apply my graphic design skills to art quilting. I learned to make collage quilts and soon had a few commissions. There was a period of time when I learned many techniques from well known art quilters, I was happy to discover I was fearless when it came to the artistic part. When my daughters were young I would make birthday presents of little quilted bags for their friends and teachers at school as gifts. I practiced my free-motion quilting skills on them, and often these now grown friends of my daughter’s say, “I am still using the quilted bag you made me when I turned 14.” I’ve made Tip to Tail Tie Totes, an origami style zipper pouch made from thrift store silk ties. I’ve attended a week long artistic textile camp numerous summers’, where I met other amazing creative women, I learned many things from all of them and was exposed to fabric manipulations and techniques. Those experiences inspired me towards years of experimenting with dye, thickened dye, indigo dye, snow dyeing, and art quilting. Within the past 5 years I’ve narrowed my focus to dye printing, mono printing with thickened dyes using silkscreens. My artistic styles include, traditional quilting, collage, paper piecing, and more recently abstract designs. 

I enjoy a sketchbook practice, not always daily, but often find myself urban sketching buildings. I am fascinated by old scruffy back alley’s and antique finds with a historic significance. I like to make fabric prints of these otherwise hard objects to fabric. I have been exploring the hard to soft surfaces and have made full art quilts with printed license plates, shirts, bags, silk scarves and other textiles with dye. 

I also want to use these printed textiles and make clothing. 

I tend to use humour in my work and enjoy having some sort of surprise to find. I have many of those things in my art piece Dying to Eat. Can you see where?