Rhonda Denney creates fiber art inspired by her life experiences and travels. She uses hand-held pigments to color on fabric and stitching to add dimension and refers to these creations as Pigment Patchwork.
Tell us about your journey to become a fiber artist.
I started working with fabric around 2003, when I saw a bed quilt kit that drew me in. I always appreciated traditional quilts, but never had a desire to create them until that time.
I did create that quilt, enlarging it and adding Columbine applique flowers on two edges, with the help of a neighbor who is an excellent quilter (I don’t think either of us knew what we were getting into, but we are still great friends!).
I very quickly gravitated to art guilts because I couldn’t sew a consistent 1/4″ seam! I loved the freedom of art quilting.
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During that time my husband, Ray, and I had helped build our house, off-grid, solar-powered with a well and propane, on a gorgeous old 218 acre ranch (actually part of a larger ranch). When I retired from my jobs (Civilian technical project management and USA) I started experimenting on my own. After learning about the possibilities of using pigments to color on fabric I found my path.
I took classes, including a year-long Color Class for quilters, mentored with family friends, and attended a few retreats. All that helped me realize that I could get out of the box and that there were really no rules. Whoo-hoo!
I started focusing on using hand-held pigments to color on fabric, as well as using different types of fabric in my work. I developed my stitching to define dimension in my pieces; a technique I call Stitching for Dimension. Altogether, I call these techniques Pigment Patchwork.
I am continuously experimenting and learning with each piece I make. From the beginning, I submitted some of my work into Call for Entries and sometimes won awards. In the fall of 2015, I was juried into a mentorship with a Denver, CO Art Gallery where I was challenged to change my perspective to create three new pieces for a gallery show in November 2015.
That mentorship was invaluable in exposing me to a different side of the art world. Friends and people saw my work and asked me to teach them some of my techniques. That has evolved into a set of workshops that I continue to teach and refine.
I was invited to teach in Nairobi, Kenya, and Kyiv, Ukraine, as well as various locations in the USA. Quilt Guilds hire me to teach, and I am starting to teach at larger quilt shows and festivals. I am a member of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), and now very proud to be a Juried Artist Member (JAM).
I really love helping others realize that each of us has our own creative voice that can be developed and nurtured. My embellishment techniques can become tools that anyone can add to their creative toolbox.
When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person?
It seems I have always been creative and crafty, but it was only used as a way to relax. I took art classes in school and college for that reason. It was to balance out my other classes and pursuits. It was never very disciplined.
How have your adventures living overseas influenced your work?
Even before we moved overseas, I was influenced by the animals my father worked with and those brought home by my three brothers (I come from a family of six kids, three brothers and two sisters). My father worked for the Colorado Game & Fish. Occasionally we would get to visit with orphaned wild animals that would eventually be rehabbed back into the wild or go to wildlife centers.
We always seemed to have interesting pets, from snakes (reptiles of all kinds), to squirrels traversing our curtains & drapes, to baby raccoons. Of course, we had the usual dogs and cats and parrots, etc. I really don’t know how my mother put up with all of it!
When I was 11 years old, we moved to Nairobi, Kenya, to be with my father as he worked on a multi-year animal migration study project for the United Nations Development Programs, Food & Agriculture Organization (UNDP/FAO). They wanted to understand the herd migration movements around some of the national parks so they could potentially change the park boundaries to better protect the wildlife from poaching.
My siblings and I attended classes in the local schools and occasionally got to go with my father when he went on safari (I always felt like he was part of a Daktari TV episode!). I developed a deep appreciation for the wild animals there, and have always felt a deep connection with animals in general.
In fact, my husband Ray and I have several “rescued” animals that live with us (four retired horses, two goats, five cats, and two dogs (one tripod and one paraplegic (who is, by the way, starting to walk again, thanks to intensive therapy!)).
I appreciate the diversity of cultures around the world and love to travel to explore them, using guided tours (I don’t have the time to plan them myself!). I try to go on at least one international trip each year. All of my background inspires my work.
Do you do series work? How does that affect your approach?
From 2002 until 2015, I created fiber art pieces based on whatever interested me or a class I took, resulting in a wide variety of art quilt topics and styles. In many cases, my creations were stimulated by a Call for Entry (I seem to work better when I have a deadline!).
The 2015 Art Gallery mentorship assignment was my first “series” work, resulting in three pieces I called “The Eyes Have It”. I continue to add pieces to that series, along those same lines, but also respond to challenges or Images/Ideas that inspire me. I feel that I have a distintive style of work that people recognize as my creative voice. I tend to create a realistic style, but I am starting to play with a more fun, whimsically cartoonish approach as well.
What different creative media do you use in your work?
I am known to use hand-held pigments of all kinds in my work, with endless possibilities. I also use dye paint, paints, etc. I like using fabrics of all kinds as my appliqué base for color, but also create whole cloth works. The potential variety of pigments and fabrics adds an infinite variety of challenges and opportunities in creativity, thus providing me with ongoing learning experiences.
I find that I have had to “embrace the wicking” and learn to “dance with the pigments”. I have also refined my free-motion stitching approach to help define dimension in my art pieces, augmenting my coloring on the fabric. At the encouragement of friends, we coined the name “Pigment Patchwork” to collectively identify my techniques and approaches.
Do you plan your work out ahead of time, or do you just dive in with your materials and start playing?
Most times I plan my work, at least at a high level. I have an idea of what I want to make. I like using photographs to help with my inspiration, but each piece takes on a life of its own. Oftentimes the inspiration photographs provide assistance with proportions and basic design concepts only.
Describe your creative space.
I am very lucky to have a large creative studio space in the walk-out basement of my house. It is large enough to be able to teach small groups. I have a separate “wet” room with a sink and plenty of cabinets to store my art and fabric supplies (my creative stash). I have to share the space with our cats, who are usually there to supervise my creative endeavors.
What is your favorite storage tip for your fabric and creative supplies?
Ha! I wish I was more organized in this area. I try to sort my fabric stash by color and store it in bins to facilitate the collection of fabric pieces for a specific art piece. I keep my hand-held pigments together so I can easily determine what I want to use. My biggest challenge is putting things back where I got them.
Scraps. Saver? Or be done with them?
I save most everything and try to organize them in small bags by color (on a good day). I use fabric scraps to create confetti and collage portions in my work. I save thread and other snippets for embellishment. I save non-recyclable plastic lids for my Pigment Patchwork teaching. I save plastics and other interesting materials so I have them to experiment with (in my spare time, ha!).
Do you use a sketchbook, journal, or technology to plan or keep track of ideas? How does that help your work develop?
I need to get more disciplined with this. I tend to have scraps of paper lying about and sometimes have to search to find things. I have not found a method of plan that sticks. It would definitely help me keep track of my ideas. I do have a folder of photographs and sketches for Inspiration.
How often do you start a new project? Do you work actively on more than one project at a time?
As I mentioned earlier, I seem to work best when I have a project deadline to help motivate me and prioritize my creative work efforts. I can actively work on multiple pieces at a time.
Can you tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works? How does a new work come about?
Life is full of inspiration. In fact overwhelming inspiration!
One of the reasons I choose a Call for Entry as my “kick-start” for a project is because it gives me a focus for a specific project (and it may spark several different projects too). For example, an exhibition called ‘living-language-land’ Inspired. This exhibition theme was my proposal, inspired by a UK-based project called living-language-land.org (the same name as their website).
I wanted a Call for Entry that would inspire members of my SAQA (Studio Art Quilter Associates) region, especially those whose confidence level in their own creative voice could use a boost. This exhibition was more of a “Call for Participation” in that the entries were not juried. Entry only required a commitment for a specific word (of the total 26 available), first come first served.
The result: a fiber artwork inspired by that chosen word, meeting the exhibition size requirements, no later than the due date. I also signed up for some of the words (taking those needed to fill out the exhibition). In fact, with the interest, we were able to get people per word, with a total number of artworks at 54 (some created triptychs for a specific word).
For those words assigned to me, it was a matter of researching the word using the UK project’s website, then contemplating what the word meant to me. I love the creative stretching that happens during this process, when a word turns into an idea that can be fleshed out with reference photos to become a sketch for a fiber art piece. Some are more challenging than others. All are a reflection of my life experiences or desires. Each giving me an opportunity to create an expression that can affect others, hopefully to get them to think about my message. The artwork, along with the artist statement, contributes to the goal of inspiring others.
Which part of the design process is your favorite? Which part is a challenge for you?
I love all of it. I think my biggest challenge is deciding what to create as a project. That is why I love Calls for Entry.
How has your work evolved over the years? Is there a common thread (pun intended!) across the years?
I am continuously evolving and learning with each artwork I create. The common thread is my use of pigments to add embellishment to my work, whether it be a small portion, or the entire whole cloth piece. My Stitching for Dimension is also a common thread.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
There are several bits of advice that I’ve received over the years and made them mine, related to our creative voice. I share this advice with participants in each of my workshops. We are oftentimes our own worst enemy to our creative process. We need to give ourselves permission to play. There are no “mistakes”. Instead, they are “learning opportunities”.
Also, we are each on our own creative journey, growing at our own pace. Instead of comparing your work with others, compare it to your work last week or the week before. Practice makes progress, not perfection, since there is no such thing.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work?
I find the best way is to open yourself up to new challenges and learning opportunities. Whenever I start a new project, I try to incorporate new ideas, materials and techniques in my work. That keeps everything interesting.
Where can people see your work?
My website, RhondaDenney.com, has my portfolio with photographs of most of my fiber art. (I also have other items created from high-quality images of my artwork, including limited edition prints, printed FQ panels, notecards, postcards, stickers & magnets, and other items.)
Because of the Calls for Entry, some of my original artwork is exhibited in different venues, local to Kansas, other states and internationally. I have artwork at area galleries. Anyone can coordinate a visit to my studio to see my art in person.
I’ve been featured in a few magazines including 4 different articles in Art Quilt Studios, by Stampington & Company.
I post pictures of my work on social media, including IG, FB, TikTok and LinkedIn.
Interview posted June 2025
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