About Woodpecker Snag
My art quilts express my wonder at the beauty and tenacity of nature. Fabric and thread capture colors and textures, lights and shadows, emotions of joy and sorrow. The common thread through all my pieces is the delicate balance between humankind and nature, and the sense of spiritual renewal that oneness brings.
This quilt is about how even decaying and dying trees and plants are essential parts of the life cycle of animals and birds. Woodpeckers and other birds and animals, often rely on dead and dying trees as a source of insects for food and cavities for shelter.
I used rust dyed fabric and bark printed fabric for the tree, adding free motion stitching. The woodpecker is based on photos I’ve taken around our feeders and trees. He is appliqued on the tree. The bird is free-motion embroidered, with some of his wing feathers stitched onto him.
About the Artist
Debra’s father and grandmother were painters and amateur naturalists. Her childhood weekends were often spent with them learning to draw and paint, or taking hikes and fossil-hunting. Although she taught herself to sew as a child and designed doll clothes and constructed purses from fabric, cardboard, and beads, it wasn’t until much later in life that she became interested in quilting.
After years of working primarily on garments, she decided to make a quilt and was hooked. Although she enjoys traditional quilting, she is more excited about the tremendous possibilities for design in art quilting. She is currently interested in exploring the use of texture and color to incorporate nature themes into her work.
Working with cloth provides me with endless possibilities to satisfy my urge to create since fiber holds the perfect mix of tactile and visual art that I enjoy.
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Artist’s Statement
The art quilt presents a tremendous opportunity for expressing design ideas and themes. I quilt because I enjoy working with fabric. I make art quilts because taking something originally intended to be utilitarian and making it into a piece of art is a challenge, and very rewarding. Manipulating textiles and fibers in the creation of art is a fascinating process. It is exciting to see people react to art quilts and accept them as art.