Ann Turley rediscovered her passion for art in retirement. She now creates fiber art that draws the viewer in to see the details. A touch of whimsy can be seen in many of her pieces.
How did you find yourself on an artist’s path? Always there? Lightbulb moment? Dragged kicking and screaming? Evolving?
I’ve been a bit creative most of my life. As a small child I loved to draw and paint and was quite pleased to have been chosen to attend a weekends-only public art academy while in 5th and 6th grades. I learned quite a bit there and it helped bolster my confidence.
As a teen and adult however, I turned off my artistic side and concentrated on an education where I knew I could support myself.
After retiring from a rewarding career as both an x-ray technologist and an ultrasonographer, I headed back to school to reawaken my dormant talents. Truly, I was amazed at what was appearing at the end of my pencil!
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Where do you find your inspiration for your designs?
Traveling quite a bit has probably been my biggest inspiration – the people, landmarks, architecture, history and even the food of foreign countries always spark something in my imagination.
My dreams also contribute to my work. I created a series of birds called the Adventures of Tallulah based on dreams and wild thoughts. I also enjoy working through what I call “what if…” situations. What if the watermelon patch came alive? What if giraffes wore sunglasses?
Do you do series work? How does that affect your approach?
Yes, I do work in series.
As a part of an international art quilt group known as 15 x 15, we are called to follow an annual theme and create a 15″ square quilt every other month. I have been greatly inspired and motived by this group of artists.
At the moment we are working through an interesting theme. Choose a book or books, create a quilt based on it, either a section or the entire book, and include text in your final work. So for me it’s six quilts based on minor characters from Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. These collections have been exhibited worldwide. You can see what we’ve done, both past and present, here. fifteenquilts.com
Do you plan your work out ahead of time, or do you just dive in with your materials and start playing?
I do an equal amount of both. Abstract work leads me to just dive in, while themed work requires a lot of planning.
Quilt On The Wall (QOTW) in Costa Mesa, CA is an organized group of like-minded art quilters, and I consider them to be my biggest motivators. We plan themed exhibitions annually and we are given size limits and deadlines. Because of this, I am always pondering an idea for a quilt.
Are you a “finisher”? How many UFOs do you think you have?
I pretty much finish everything, but some projects take longer to finish than others. I don’t have many UFOs, maybe two or three,
Describe your creative space.
Organized chaos! I have a dedicated bedroom converted to a studio. There are bins filled with fabric stacked high in the closet and along a portion of one wall. Then outside in one bay of the three-car garage, I have a large cutting table with shelf space below, filled with all sorts of stuff for mixed media and collage design.
Scraps. Saver? Or be done with them?
I do save scraps, just not all of them. If I’ve backed a fabric with fusible web and there’s at least 2″ remaining, I’ll save it. Other scraps I’ll save should be a bit larger to be useful.
Do you use a sketchbook or journal? How does that help your work develop?
A sketchbook is useful to work out the composition; I don’t keep a journal.
How often do you start a new project? Do you work actively on more than one project at a time?
I like to have at least two projects going at the same time, and I will usually start something new every month or so.
Can you tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works? How does a new work come about?
A recent theme from QOTW was Music and Lyrics. My style is somewhat whimsical and I like to create a piece that will draw the viewer in for a closer look. In thinking outside the box or way from the expected, I began to develop a project based on “Baa Baa Black Sheep”. As it came together, the image gave me a good laugh. I loved entering my studio every day to continue working on the quilt.
Any new work I begin starts with a list of possibilities. “Octopus King” was my response to Under The Sea. “Just Passing Through” was the result of a request for butterfly-themed quilts. Oftentimes I have an image in my head of what I want to create but it doesn’t quite fit the theme. My solution is to write an artist statement that will cause the piece to be seen in the desired perspective. Quilts on the Wall can be seen at www.quiltsonthewall.com
Which part of the design process is your favorite? Which part is a challenge for you?
I love coming up with an image and turning it into a pattern. Least favorite is attaching the facing and hand-stitching it in place.
Is there an overarching theme that connects all of your work?
(Almost) everything should a touch of whimsy to it. I want the viewer to be curious and stop to study my work. I want someone to say “why are those giraffes wearing sunglasses? How are avocados cause for celebration? And why is that bird wearing goggles? I want my audience to laugh when they remember my quilts.
How has your creativity evolved over the years? What triggered the evolution to new media/kinds of work/ways of working?
I would say it has. An evolution was sparked by taking classes, studying the works of others, learning and applying methods and techniques not always associated with quilting,
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Don’t be afraid, just do it. Make “What would happen if I…” a reality.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work?
I attend as many art and art-related events as possible. I ask questions of the artists, hoping to take home a nugget of wisdom from them. I recently joined an art association, one more focused on fine art just so I could learn from these artists. My motive was and is to help people realize that working with textiles as a medium is just as valid as any other media, be it watercolors, oils, or clay.
Tell us more about being a quilt show judge. What is one thing you’d like to tell all quilters to do before entering a quilt to be juried?
Wow, I love judging quilts!
I’m one of the only people in the room who is allowed to really handle the quilts with my bare hands. I touch and feel as much as possible. I examine each quilt as closely as possible within a very limited amount of time. I study the composition, balance of elements, use of color and technical abilities, amongst others.
Quilters should understand that judging is done anonymously and is never personal. My bit of advice is twofold. First, read and thoroughly understand the rules. Second, take the judge’s comments to heart. This is constructive criticism, meant to point out areas where you could improve. And revel in the praise, you deserve it!
Do you lecture or teach workshops? How can students/organizers get in touch with you to schedule an event?
I do lecture and teach workshops and prefer quilt guilds and larger groups. My website is www.annturley.info Email me at [email protected]
Where can people see your work?
I have a few examples on my website and you can see more at www.quiltsonthewall.com
I would like to suggest joining an art group either virtual or in person. My preferences are:
- Quilts on the Wall www.quiltsonthewall.com
- SAQA, an international organization with many local pods. The website is loaded with photos and information www.saqa.com (SAQA is the acronym for Studio Art Quilt Associates)
- Any local fine arts association.
- A local quilt guild. Here in southern California, we have a council of quilt guilds www.sccqg.org
Interview posted August 2024
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