Bernie Rowell

Bernie Rowell Contemporary Quilt Artist

I have enjoyed the creative process since I was a child, and my mom always encouraged me, telling me I could do anything. I studied art education at Michigan State University; taught school but found our school systems frustratingly uncreative. I became involved with the American Craft Council's marketing program, traveling to art shows taking wholesale orders and meeting delivery deadlines. I created small wall pieces, using dyes on raw silk over-stitched with machine embroidery and beads. This small business sustained me for ten years and honed my business and technical skills. Slowly, needing to evolve as an artist, I moved from dyes to paint on canvas. I began to make larger, one-of-a kind works, experimenting with new techniques, problem solving and gradually developing my own voice; my "visual vocabulary." When I'm not working in my studio, I work in the garden, cherish visits from my adult children, and enjoy cooking with my husband Robert. Oh yes, I also love gazing at the hazy blue mountains that surround my home. It's a good life.

My Process

Using latex enamels, I paint color on large sheets of white canvas, blending wet colors into each other as I brush across the surface. Next, I add an over-printed or spattered layer to create more complex colorations. These created "art materials" are then cut into shapes forming the compositions. A batting layer is added to each section before they are sewn together.Then the fun begins; scraps are used to cut small parts which are painted and embroidered-hundreds of leaves, flowers, or daffodil bulbs perhaps. These parts are then collaged to the surface. The small details add subtle color and texture and are a labor of considerable time and love. Often, I incorporate a signature grid of metallic fabrics. I like the way this makes the piece change mysteriously in different light.

Find out more at www.bernierowell.com/