Featured Artist Patricia Charity

Patricia Charity presents a collection of fiber and mixed media artworks created with a contemporary sculptural flair. Visit her website to see more of her portfolio.

 

 

Growing up I was always drawing and loved color. I spent high school living in the Midwest where my grandmother was a quilter. Being a teenager, I wasn’t interested in learning how to quilt. At that time, I didn’t see it as being art.

 

 

After graduating high school, we moved to Arizona. I continued to draw and paint and joined a local guild where I met many artists and got to experience a true critique group that helped influence my later efforts. At the time I worked mostly with acrylics.

 

 

Moving again to California, I developed a friendship with a co-worker who wanted to take a quilting class but didn’t want to go alone. I said I would go. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

 

The class had us select our fabrics for the project, and I showed up with orange, purple, hot pink, navy, avocado and tan. Everyone was horrified but the teacher. To her credit, she just said, “That will be an interesting quilt when it’s done.” I have been coloring out of the box ever since.

 

 

I took a class a few years later where we painted our own fabric one day and used it in a quilt the next day. The instructor had a basic pattern but allowed us to free cut our shapes if we wanted. I thought this was heaven. Since then, I haven’t used a commercial pattern.

 

 

I now work mostly with abstract designs and collage, but some pieces are referenced from my photographs. My color palette remains a little on the wild side. I love bringing the unexpected to my work.

 

 

I still paint and draw, and that is the starting point of my designs. A basic pencil sketch, then pen work to clean up and finalize the design. I block in basic values and colors to make sure the composition works. I think about how brush strokes add texture to a painting and try to mimic that with my stitching.

 

 

I’m a member of several art and quilt groups. I have been published in books and magazines and have exhibited in many local, regional and national shows. Currently I display work at the TIS Gallery in Prescott, Arizona. My work has been exhibited at Road to California, IQF Long Beach and I’ve had pieces travel to national shows in Pennsylvania and IQF Houston, Texas. I am a member of SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates). It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow artists, for exposure and learning.

 

Patricia Charity invites you to follow on Facebook.

 

 

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