Art Cloth is cloth transformed by adding or subtracting color, line, shape, texture, value, or fiber to create a compelling surface. This is the Art Cloth Network‘s definition.
Art Cloth Network (ACN) is a group of 27 professional artists from the US and Canada who have come together with a common goal — to promote the medium of fiber as an art form and share it with others. Each of the members brings a personal vision and sensibility to his or her work. The group provides a support forum as well as exhibition opportunities for its members and promotes an appreciation of art cloth in the broader community. Membership is juried annually.
This is Art Cloth Network’s 20th year. Master class students of Jane Dunnewold who wished to formalize their relationship and continue to work together began the organization. Using what they learned from Jane and from many other fine artists, these artists and their successors in the organization create cutting edge, experimental, sophisticated fine art.
ACN meets annually in a different city where they conduct business, but the highlight is always days of viewing each others’ artwork. There are regional get togethers and special interest pods, as well. And the group puts on frequent exhibits at museums and galleries throughout North America.
To celebrate the Art Cloth Network’s first 20 years and introduce you to the wide variety of creative work the members produce, we asked ACN members about their art and how ACN membership has helped them grow as artists. It might just be the connection you need to take the next step with your own work!
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Barbara James
Working with my own hand dyed and printed fabrics I create art that speaks to my life in Lowcountry South Carolina and my travels. Recently my energies have gone into experimenting with new materials and techniques to more fully tell my story.
What led me to create art cloth?
I have always been fascinated with fabric and this led me to earn degrees in textiles. Using others’ cloth to design and make garments soon made me to want to create my own cloth and display that cloth as fine art. I was drawn to the diversity of techniques that could be layered to create a truly unique textile that had depth and interest.
How have I benefited from Art Cloth Network?
As a member of Art Cloth Network I have been challenged by my fellow members to take artistic risks that I may not have taken without their encouragement. The juried shows provide opportunities to exhibit my work nationally. It is invigorating to count these creative and accomplished artists as my friends.
In making “Armchair Travels: Lascaux” I explored photo transfer, painting and hand stitching to express my disappointment in my canceled trip to France to revisit the prehistoric cave paintings.
I made Covid Shield I and II to protect and transport me to a safer place.
Learn more about Barbara on her website.
Read our interview with Barbara on Create Whimsy.
Mary Vaneecke
Mary Vaneecke is an award-winning artist whose work has been exhibited in museums and at shows throughout the US, in Europe and Australia. In addition, the LA Times, Associated Press, Hyperallergic, Quilting Arts Magazine, and Machine Quilting Unlimited have all published her textile art.
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
Fabric is ubiquitous and it touches every part of our lives, from the day we are born till the day we die. It is instantly familiar and can evoke memories and sensations. Despite this, cloth is malleable in so many ways. You can turn it into something you have never seen before. It is fascinating and magical.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
Art Cloth Network has helped me connect with like-minded artists who are hard at work moving the medium forward. I have made many friends who I hope will be a part of my life for a long time. They inspire me every day.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works you are sending an image of.
My inspirations come from many places, but current events and literature are recurring themes. My series Tone Poems derives inspiration from poetry. Hazel Hall’s poetry inspired Yes, I Have Been Mending III. Hall used stitch imagery in several of her poems, so discovering her work was a delight. In Mending, she reveals this mundane act to be subversive. Mending III started as white fabric which I dyed, cut, loosely wove, burned and then crudely ‘mended’ back together.
Learn more about Mary on her website.
Read more about Mary in this interview on Create Whimsy.
Mary-Ellen Latino
I am a mixed media fiber artist who began creating complex cloth 20 years ago. My inspirations come from nature, travel and world issues. I digitally scan and develop photos and dyed cloth to create imagery that I print on natural fabrics such as silk. I believe that through creativity one feeds the soul by empowering one’s individual and unique spirit!
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
My fiber art evolved since childhood: knitting, crocheting, creating and sewing clothes, traditional quilt making and then finally a surface design class that filled my soul with such passion to never stop creating art cloth. “Spirit is an invisible force made visible in life”. Maya Angelou. I believe this forceful spirit drives us to create art.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
Art Cloth Network is a community of fiber artists who encourage, inspire and empower one another. Having been a member for 10 years, I look back and realize how invaluable and enriching this group has been, fueling and challenging me to do more while thinking outside the box. With exhibitions in galleries, museums, and even airports, we have the opportunity to connect with the world and promote our diverse and unique visual voices.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works you are sending an image of.
I created “The World is Watching” in response to our 20th Anniversary call for entry, FULL CIRCLE. This piece portrays my work coming full circle using the mediums of photography and surface design with digital alchemy. I wanted to reflect upon our turbulent political climate with issues such as terrorism, immigration and borders. Since the United States is a World leader, the world is watching!
“ And the ships wise men will remind you once again that the whole world is watching.” Bob Dylan
This piece is so appropriate for the 2020 Pandemic. It portrays our tumultuous international dilemma as the world watches with concern, hope and fear to learn the most effective strategies to combat the virus, flatten the curve, and ultimately develop a virus.
“The whole world is watching when you rise.
The whole world is beating for you right now.
Your whole life is flashing ‘fore your eyes.
It’s all in this moment that changes all.” Sharon den Adel, Robert Westerholt and Dan Gibson
Learn more about Mary-Ellen on her website
Deborah Weir
Deborah is a full time fine art mixed media studio artist who uses textiles and fiber techniques in addition to many other materials and methods to make thematically based series. She has shown her work on 6 continents.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
Joining Art Cloth Network has been VERY rewarding for me. I have made some wonderful friends and learned masses about how to be a successful studio artist. I’ve learned hands on skills and explored new sources of further information. The close up, hands-on view of some of the finest work today in the textile field is invaluable. And we all speak the same “language.”
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works you are sending an image of.
My personal inspiration usually has to do with the environment and social justice, but sometimes just ideas that intrigue me. Series have focused on ocean pollution, incarceration and a deep examination of color, for example. I do the research all the time envisioning ways that might lead to the creation of the artwork. Once a series is complete (sometimes several years) I scurry around searching for venues in which to show it.
Learn more about Deborah on her website.
Read our interview with Deborah on Create Whimsy.
Barbara J. Schneider
I am a textile artist with an interest in the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi; finding beauty in things that are imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete is at the core of all of my artwork. I like to capture the essence of images made of light and movement, images that are infinitely variable. What does the eye see? What does the camera see? And what does the mind see?
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
I use art cloth as a medium to explore what all cloth can do. Often the work I do as art cloth expands into more constructed or dimensional work.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
I have been a member of the Art Cloth Network for 20 years and have learned from other members and enjoyed growing together as a group and being able to exhibit in many venues. I like having the challenge of creating new work each year for potential inclusion in one of our exhibits.
Line Play, var. 1 was created for our exhibit The Space Between.
This monoprint was created with ink and paint, printed on paper, enlarged and printed on cloth and then stitched. I explored first the space between the lines created with mark making and then the space between areas when enlarged and printed in a mirrored pattern. I continued to explore and emphasize the space between areas with stitching. This piece explores the concept of the space between on multiple levels and each level adds energy to the overall design. 51.5 inches wide, 32. 5 inches high.
Line Dance Tree Ring Patterns began with photos I took of tree rings or tree stumps and then manipulated, printed very large, added surface techniques and then stitched to create another layer of interest.
Learn more about Barbara on her website.
Read our interview with Barbara on Create Whimsy
Maggie Weiss
Maggie is an award winning Artist, Quilter, Juror and Educator from Evanston, IL.
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
The tactile nature of cloth and the intriguing possibilities of creating the illusion of three dimensions on a two dimensional surface fascinate me. I find inspiration in Nature, issues of Social Justice and everyday life experiences.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
Sharing our work at meetings and observing the talent and innovation of fellow members is inspiring and informative! Staying in touch provides problem solving, learning opportunities and support. Being a member of ACN has expanded and enriched my awareness of art and textiles and has led me grow and develop as an artist.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works you are sending an image of.
16 Shots, 14 Seconds While studying anatomy several years ago I searched for a handout of the human body; To my horror, one of the first results was the County Coroner’s report on the violent killing of a young man at the hands of the police. The 18 year old was shot 16 times in 14 seconds; the report detailed the entry and exit wounds made by the bullets. I documented that young man’s untimely death by interpreting that report in cloth in the hope of preventing similar acts and increasing awareness of the urgent need for reform in our justice system.
Learn more about Maggie and her work on her website.
Wrenn Slocum
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
I come from a long line of women who used cloth as a medium of expression, so being an artist and working with textiles seems inevitable. I first connected with Art Cloth when I realized the dyes I was using for yarn could become even more dynamic when layered on cloth.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
I was instrumental in starting the Art Cloth Network because I craved connections with other artists working in this medium, and it has been invaluable. I am something of a restless soul, and my textile art has veered off in unforeseen directions, but luckily the group has expanded their definition of art cloth to include my work.
Learn more about Wrenn and her work on her website.
Barbara J. Matthews
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
I started on a scientific path leading to a career in research. My interest in art never diminished and my science experience bolstered my interest in the alchemy of dyeing fabric.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works you are sending an image of.
The beauty of glaciers, and the contrast of their massiveness and fragility in our current environment inspire me. On our honeymoon, we hiked 5 miles to the Grinnell glacier in Glacier National Park. I feel fortunate that I was able to stand and peer down into the crevasses that have now receded and are no longer accessible.
I primarily use silk in my pieces because I love the way the silk absorbs the dye. The weight of the silk also lends transparency to my finished pieces. I use a variety of dyeing methods including silk painting, which involves brushing on the dye in a painterly approach; shibori dyeing, which involves tying or clamping the silk to cause resist patterns, and printing using thickened dyes. I have adapted a process where I adhere the dyed silk to acrylic glass, so that I can stand the piece upright to allow the light to shine through. I have learned enough woodworking to make the bases that my pieces stand in.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
I feel very fortunate to be involved with the Art Cloth Network. As a group, we share common goals of showing our art and improving our methods. Since the pandemic, we have formed several subgroups that meet monthly over Zoom. I participate in two, one where we focus on our professional goals and another serves as an informal sharing of our art progress.
Learn more about Barbara and her work on her website.
Read our interview with Barbara on Create Whimsy.
Linda Jennings Dawson
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
I learned my colors before my ABCs, could embroider before I could write and had
sewed my clothes for as long as I can remember.
Then I read Jane Dunnewold’ s book, Complex Cloth, and I knew I had to study with her. In 2001, two of my friends and I traveled to San Antonio for the Complex Cloth class where I learned the start of the many ways to enhance plain fabric with color and texture. I was hooked and have been a creator of art cloth ever since then.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
Not having an art background (I was an Occupational Therapist then a mathematics teacher) the general comments of several members about the need to know and apply the principals and elements of art challenged me early on. I researched and studied about them and learned to apply them to the techniques I used to create my cloth to create art cloth. Thus, my membership encouraged me to become much more skilled with my
techniques and to develop my own artistic voice.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works.
The Crimson Child at Play reflects the works of Carl Jung, Carolyn Myss and Jane Dunnewold concerning the archetypes. Every person has a child archetype, mine being the magical child. Playing with a silk screen like a child I created the background for this piece. Then my child just grabbed tools at random from my toolbox and added the detail. The screen technique intrigued me as I created a newsprint stencil, adhered it to the screen with paint, printed it, pulled it off and turned the paper over with each pull of the screen. The paper became so wet that it eventually disintegrated, going from the strong shape at the bottom of the piece to the tattered shapes at to top. I knew it was not my creation, but the creation of the child who lives within me and sometimes escapes to enjoy her freedom.
Learn more about Linda and her work on her website.
Merill Comeau
Merill Comeau’s work spans installation, wall hangings, paintings, and garments as she mines autobiography and investigates current socio-political issues. She combines deconstructed repurposed fabrics that embody memory of lives lived with various methods of stitch to convey narratives of mending and endurance.
What led you to Art Cloth Network?
I desired the company of like-minded artists from a wider geographic area than my current network in New England. I wanted to travel with people that would want to see and discuss art as part of our journey.
How has ACN membership been helpful?
ACN has provided collegial companionship during the social distancing of COVID. ACN has also provided exposure to different ways of thinking and methods of making.
Inspiration and process of one of the works sent?
I created The Sins of the Mother Rest Heavily in the year following my mother’s death. I painted and block printed deconstructed discarded linens and clothing. In my garden, I composted Toile festooned with exoticized images of Asia resulting in fanciful patterns that became worm eaten and torn. I reassembled these mismatched snippets using hundreds of hand stitches creating an untidy surface of trailing threads communicating the explosion of myth and the messy construction of a restructured life.
Learn more about Merill and her work on her website.
Read our interview with Merill on Create Whimsy.
Joy Nebo Lavrencik
I choose to work with fragile materials. They lend themselves to my expression of the world.
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
I originally began working with Art Cloth as a way to create a one of a kind piece of art from beginning to end. As I continued to explore different materials I started to include gut into my artwork. It provided an exciting new direction for creating fragile and dimensional pieces.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works.
One of my pieces “Mogadishu” represents the struggles of the refugees trekking across Somalia with only the few things they could carry to the refugee camps in Mogadishu during the civil war that started in 2009.
Learn more about Joy and her art on her website.
Priscilla Smith
I am a textile artist who focuses my work on”social justice”; “political” and “anti-war” issues. I design my art to provoke thought and emotion; to raise consciousness; and to galvanize change.
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
Coming from the art quilting world, art cloth offered more opportunities and techniques to make art that expresses my passion, including violence against all people and injustice against the “others”.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
The Art Cloth Network has provided me an opportunity to meet leading artists in the field of art cloth…..to support and be supported by them…..to work together creating exhibitions shown throughout the United States and Canada…. and to become close friends and colleagues with them.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works.
The title for IMAGINE began with a Beatles song in which I imagined a world different from the one we currently have. I imagined a world where our Congress had strong sturdy moral backbones, working together as non-partisans on behalf of the American people; protecting our rights to freedom of the press, religious liberty, the rule of law, the judiciary and other institutions set forth in the Bill of Rights. And showing respect to both the people they represent and to each other. And acting in ways to earn and retain the trust of those whom they serve. WE THE PEOPLE
Learn more about Priscilla and her art on her website.
Dianne Koppisch Hricko
Dianne Koppisch Hricko is a printmaker/painter currently working with fiber-reactive dyes on silk. She employs deconstructed silk screening, direct painting and discharge to produce both yardage and images.
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
I discovered textiles my junior year of undergraduate school while training to be an art teacher. Already very involved with painting and printmaking, I discovered the luminosity of dyed fabric combined both interests. I have maintained an interest in all three throughout my 35 years teaching art in the public schools and now in my 15 years of retirement. I also continue to teach workshops to adults.
3 panels total width 144” longest panel 144” deconstructed silkscreen, direct dye, soy wax resist , Mx dye This was the backdrop for my daughter’s wedding. Now installed in an art show in a lobby in Philadelphia.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
It is such a pleasure to have artists who speak my language and understand what I mean when I use terms like discharge, shibori, deconstruction. I am delighted that in this time of social isolation our group has bonded more tightly. We are using Zoom to meet in smaller groups to discuss specific techniques and goals. It is a very supportive group and I enjoy the challenge of the yearly call to entry.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works.
Womb: A call for entry for Art Cloth Network inspired this monotype. The theme was full circle. There are obviously many circles in this piece. What brought it full circle for me was that it involved my earliest interest in printmaking along with my current interest in embroidery and collage. I learned that my first grandchild was conceived while I was working on this. When I began this piece, I had no idea; I learned this only after I fully developed the image.
I have employed monotype printing with thickened dye, direct drawing , thermofax and deconstructed silk screen along with embroidery.
Learn more about Dianne and her work on her website.
Read our interview with Dianne on Create Whimsy.
Adria Sherman
Achieving a balance between expression of the left and right sides of my brain has been a dominant force in my life. From the left, my formal education and primary career was as a scientist and professor. From the right side my passion for art began in childhood and came into full expression about 20 years ago when I combined earlier interests in visual arts and sewing by creating Art Cloth.
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
As a child I wanted to be a fashion designer. In response to this my father bought me a used sewing machine so I could learn to make clothing. I taught myself to sew and by high school was making most of my own clothing.
When it was time to select an elective in high school I wanted to take art, but my father told me that I had to take science classes so I could prepare for a career in scientific research. Being a good girl I listened to Daddy who wanted me to have a strong financial base and help solve humanities problems rather than pursue an uncertain career in art. After becoming a Professor of Nutrition, I returned to my love of art and interest in creating original garments. I quickly became bored with commercial fabrics and started to paint, dye and print my own designs on fabric. Discovering my love for these techniques I transitioned to making art quilts and art cloth.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
Membership in the Art Cloth Network has given me the opportunity to follow other members’ work and get invaluable feedback on my work. I have benefited by participating in the group’s discourse about art cloth and I continue to grow as an artist by attending the meetings and interacting with these outstanding artists. The calls for entry to exhibits provide a positive incentive for me to experiment with new ideas and challenges while maintaining artistic productivity.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works.
I submitted Circular Odyssey to the call for the ACN show “Full Circle”. As I reflected on the theme of Full Circle, I thought about the work of Wassily Kandinsky that I had studied in my work as a docent at the Princeton University Art Museum. His many abstract paintings using geometric shapes provided the inspiration for my Full Circle series.
I made this piece by printing with thickened dyes onto silk noil. The transparency of the dyes that allow overlapping of colors and textures call to me. I used silk screens that I created from my drawings and microscopic images for printing. Since the guidelines for submitting pieces for this ACN specified a 20” X 20” format, I was able to indulge in hand stitching most areas of the composition to create the surface textures.
Regina Marzlin
Regina Marzlin is a textile artist making her home in Nova Scotia, Canada, after having lived in Germany and Australia. She is interested in mark making and abstract design on cloth, inspired by nature. She is a juried member of the international art groups Art Cloth Network, Cloth in Common and Studio Art Quilt Associates.
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
The possibilities in creating my own fabric to stitch on are fascinating. Stitch accentuates the gestural marks I can achieve through printing and painting, leading to a complex, layered and intriguing textural and multi-faceted surface.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
I am a fairly new member (2019 was my first full year in ACN), but the benefits are significant already. The stimulating conversations with colleagues, the possibilities of being part of high-class juried exhibitions, the support through professional development sessions and the encouraging friendships and welcoming manner in the group are huge advantages. I constantly strive to improve my work to do justice to the quality of the group.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works.
The piece “A Rare Bird” was a turning point in my artistic practice. It implements a special mono printing technique that is very lose, abstract and spontaneous. The quick gestural drawing marks convey energy and produce distinct black on white marks. Finding the bird in seemingly random lines I coloured the fabric with fluid inks and finally machine stitched to emphasize the lines.
Learn more about Regina and her work on her website.
Read our interview with Regina on Create Whimsy.
Sherri Lipman McCauley
Sherri Lipman McCauley brings improvisation to her artwork. McCauley is educated as a teacher, trained as a programmer, and has emerged as an artist, creating serendipitous fiber. McCauley works extemporaneously and in the abstract with fabric, threads, paints and dyes. The simplicity of a geometric shape, the blast of a colorful line, or the contrast of black against white makes her canvas sing.
What led you to Art Cloth as a medium?
Art cloth inspires me as a medium because the tactile sensation of the cloth is a comfortable feel for me. I have been sewing since I was a teenager. The action of enriching the surface of a piece of fabric is exciting and challenging.
My favorite method of creation is to apply paint via a syringe in a gestural movement. The improvisational marks are always unique and often lead to the start of my abstract design. Studying with Jane Dunnewold gave me the confidence and guidance to create art cloth and to continue to explore and apply the variety of techniques available in creating art cloth.
How have you benefited from being a member of Art Cloth Network artistically and/or personally?
I have benefitted by being a member of Art Cloth Network through the opportunity to exhibit my work across the country. The annual juried call for entry offers the chance to participate in the Art Cloth Network annual exhibition. At any given time, we have at least three active exhibitions available.
Artistically, I have the experiences and knowledge of the membership available to me for guidance in techniques, art practices and studio management. Connecting with the other members of the group is a wonderful opportunity for community and inspiration.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works.
Interruption. 2019. 40”x31”
As I worked on this piece, I felt the give and take of the paint and dye as I applied it to the fabric. When applying dyes and paints, the resulting quality of the line is always a surprise. I explore the interpretation of how the painted line can be manipulated within the construct of the textile piece. Paint and thickened dye came together to establish the linear aspect of this piece. The painted lines took the lead, with the stitched columns supporting the design.
When I create, I mostly just ‘go with the flow’, adding colors and elements that speak to me in the moment. I started with creating components for this piece with paints and dyes, using thickened dye and paint on a sheet of plastic to generate the lines. I applied secondary colors to add interest. My intent was to combine the painted line with colorful complementary piecing.
Learn more about Sherri and her work on her website.
Check out our in depth interview with Sherri.
Jeanne Sisson
Jeanne Sisson finds inspiration in the graceful movement of natural forms. The sensuality and vulnerability of the female silhouette; the ethereal magic of windblown trees; and the beauty of soaring birds, are all images that influence her imagination. She creates in her Massachusetts home studio on a mountain with a sixty-mile western view of the Berkshire Mountains.
Tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works.
Breathe, 36×40”, 2020 Multiple monotype prints on Fuji silk broadcloth with MX dye, multiple monotype prints with acrylic paint, backed with felt and hand stitched.
The inspiration for the art quilt Breathe was my connection to swimming and floating.
My parents signed me up for swimming lessons when I was 5 where I learned to turn onto my back and float. I have always been good at it. Now, years later, I spend summers on a beautiful large lake. During my daily swims, my favorite thing to do is float. Surrounded by the cool crystal water, buoyant and almost weightless, with my ears submerged, noises are muffled. Things become distant. Thoughts recede. The bubbling sound of water and my breath is all I hear, and I disappear from reality for a while.
Fuji Silk Broadcloth, thickened MX dye, acrylic paint, felt backing, a variety of sewing threads.
Learn more about Jeanne and her work on her website.
Article posted September 2020