About the Artists

Phyllis Costas

As a cosmetologist who specialized in corrective coloring, color has always been in my line of work. Upon retiring I joined a quilt guild to learn something new. Learning to quilt brought out my love of abstract and color combinations and fabric manipulations. 

I never met a fabric I did not like.

Cynthia Crull

Fiber Artist

Cynthia has played with art most of her life since high school, but did not recognize herself as an artist until she was in her forties. Fiber arts, knitting, sewing, and crochet were part of her creative life. Then she found weaving, and that is what it took for her to become an artist. For more than 45 years that was her creative outlet and she loved it. However, warping a 60-inch-wide loom and shooting a shuttle across that distance of warp threads 15 to 30 or more times an inch became quite wearying so weaving eventually slowed to a stop. Cynthia found another way to create through quilting since, as she says, she “can’t draw.” 

Artist Statement

When I began quilting, I gained a freedom I never expected through art quilts. I could express my thoughts, hopes, dreams, and opinions in a way that I hope will not offend or anger the viewer. Perhaps they will cause the viewer to think about things with a broader tolerance. 

Tammy Hoyler

Tammy built a career as an administrative “jack of all trades,” usually titled Office Manager / Bookkeeper. She specialized in small to medium businesses and non-profits and was typically the go-to for innumerable problems. Despite the day job, she moonlighted as a fine seamstress (construction of bridesmaid dresses to school uniforms, wedding gown alterations to hemming hundreds of pairs of pants) and spent hours crafting with her two homeschooled daughters (painting, scrapbooking and stamping, embroidery and beading, macrame, wreath design and construction, floral design and more). 

Recently retired, she has undertaken several year-long studies. During the Covid years she explored quilting, discovering a preference for bright colors and modern design. In 2023 she dove into pottery hand-building and eventually the pottery wheel. For 2024 she is exploring fine woodworking and mastery of the many power and hand tools used by artisans. Throughout these concentrated studies, she has continued to create fiber art for friends and family, and try not to take herself too seriously.

Artist Statement

Years of crafting in a wide variety of styles and categories can clearly be seen in my work. I am drawn to bold colors and shiny materials, with an exploration of texture always a visible element. The material dictates the form, and my aim is to look at ordinary things in a different way. An avid hiker and gardener, my love of nature is a consistent theme as well. I use a variety of techniques including quilting, macrame, beading, and fabric painting. A reflection of my life, I am artistically “all over the place.” 

Judy Dench said something that summarizes my approach to art and life: “Prioritize the uniqueness that makes you, you, and the invisible magnet that draws in other like-minded souls to dance in your orbit.” So, enjoy the dance in its many eclectic forms.

Charline Lovell Fiber Artist and Instructor

Lovell Lane Designs

Charline’s love of textiles and sewing began at the age of 4 while sitting in front of her mother watching her sew. In the years between, Charline’s love of sewing and creating has taken her from making clothes, to beading, quilting, collage, and bag making. She has also shared her knowledge and love of fiber crafting with her students as an instructor at local quilt shops. “I love watching the lightbulb come on when students are mastering a new technique or completing their first project.”

With all her interests and skills, Charline admits that her overall passion is fabric.  While her preferred fabric is the Kaffe Fassett Collective and all batiks, she is quick to admit, “I have never met a fabric that I didn’t love.”

Lately, Charline has been exploring fabric collage, and would love to take a class with one of her favorite collage quilters, Laura Heine. She has also become a master at making fabric bowls and has included some of her pieces in this exhibit.

A long-time resident of the Greenville area, Charline enjoys spending time with family and her rescue dog, Drake.

Johnnie Faye McKenzie

Artist in Residence-Blue Ridge Mountains Art Association Q1-2021

I began quilting at age four, hand piecing blocks from feed sacks, flour sacks, fertilizer sacks, worn out overalls, and scraps from our clothing. It was a great treat to go into town with my father to pick out the sacks that would be added to that year’s new quilts, quilts we made out of necessity since our farmhouse was heated only by fireplaces that were never lit at night. From those early choices, I began to leave a little bit of myself in every quilt I made.

After our cotton fields were picked and the trailers full of cotton were taken to the gin, my mother and I picked scrap cotton that opened up late or was just missed. We took the seeds out by hand, boiled it in a giant cast iron pot outside on a sunny day and spread it out on sheets to dry for batting. It was excruciatingly tough to quilt, especially with the excruciatingly thick thread available at that time.

After making traditional, function quilts for over 65 years, I began exploring nontraditional fiber techniques and my inspiration changed from choosing a pattern first to choosing a color, fabric, fiber, or message first. Many of my pieces are inspired by my love nature, passion for a cultural or environmental issue, or an artist’s work that lit a spark in me. I often find a magic fabric that I put on my design wall for weeks until I hear the notes it wants to sing. In 2022 I began working with three-dimensional pieces that emulate ceramic structures putting quilting in a non-traditional light.

Artist Statement

No matter where my passion to create leads me, I am guided by one simple truth: life is learning, learning is life. I enjoy the glories of trial and error, failure and success. And, I don’t care if my socks don’t match.

Cindy Moore

Biography

Cindy grew up in a home where textiles were the center of everything. Many family members worked in textile mills and her mother and grandmothers always had some kind of handwork nearby. Cindy knew she wanted a career in art and after graduation from Western Kentucky University with a BFA in Fine Art. She worked as a graphic designer, technical illustrator/writer and illustrator for most of her career. Illustration was pretty straight forward and realialist. Graphic design was harder because she had to explain to a client why a design did and did not work. This was the most important thing she learned in art school — the elements of basic design.

Throughout her career, Cindy always found time to sew, embroider, knit, crochet, spin and weave but having a mother, two grandmothers and a mother-in-law who made quilts, she never saw the need to learn to quilt.

Artist Statement

After retiring, I knew I wanted to do something creative with my time but not sure what. I thought about going back to painting but knew if I did, it would be realism again and I didn’t find that very exciting. I’ve always loved textiles. I can’t sit down unless I have something to do like knitting or sewing. I tried quilting but don’t have the patience to cut and sew straight lines. Too many rules. A couple of years ago, I went to an art quilt show and something clicked. I knew I had found my tribe.

An avid cyclist of over 35 years, I am inspired by the electronic maps of bicycle routes and the beautiful terrain of the upstate. I also have a box of shiny discarded bicycle parts that I knew I could incorporate in my art. Circles fascinate me. I have odds and ends of yarn that are my crayons, and I like the challenge of using what I have. Often I start with a discarded quilt block that is not of my making. I cut it, reshape it, embroider on it and build from there. These colorful discarded blocks push me to work outside my comfort zone. The possibilities are endless!

Sara Quattlebaum

Fiber Artist saraquatl@gmail.com

Sara Quattlebaum grew up in Wisconsin earning at a very young age many ways to use her hands and dreaming she could create this way forever. Crocheting and knitting came first, then making her own clothes. In the early 1980s Sara took a quilting class with a close friend. She never looked back. She made quilts from patterns, then designed her own quilts. During her career in computer consulting and court reporting, Sara began teaching quilting at quilt shops and doing programs for quilt guilds. After moving to South Carolina, she continued teaching and began taking classes from international quilters, opening her world up to art quilts. Now retired, Sara makes art quilts full time, teaches a little and found her dreams have come true.

 

Artist Statement

I use predominantly abstract shapes to create my work, but almost always my pieces turn out with a look of nature about them. I get inspiration from other artists, from a glimpse of something on the television screen, from taking a hike near my house, or from a photo. I then get out my sketchbook and begin sketching my rendition of that inspiration. When making an art piece, I begin with my background, whether hand dyed fabric or a beautiful store-bought piece, and back it with iron-on interfacing. I then begin cutting my shapes to form improvisational motifs and audition them on the background to create the art piece. I love to layer my fabrics and to use thread play, thread sketching, couching and/or free-hand embroidery during my design of the art piece. I never know what the end result of the art quilt may be. I just love to see it develop.

Susan Rink

For many years, Susan Rink was an art quilter trapped in a traditional quilter’s body. Hampered by the strict rules and defined conventions of traditional quilting – ¼” seams, mitered bindings, perfectly straight seams and (worst of all) well-documented patterns and instructions, for more than two decades Susan quietly rebelled by using the boldest, brightest, least traditional color and pattern combinations to express herself. Often to the dismay of her fellow quilters. Then, one day at a quilt show in the early 2000s, she saw her first exhibit of art quilts and fell in love.

It has taken Susan a few years to overcome her fear of creating, of stepping outside the boundaries and simply making things which had no real purpose, but now that she has “come over to the dark side” of art quilting, she is enjoying the opportunity to learn, to experiment, to grow and to share what she has created. And not spend a second worrying about those pesky ¼” seams.

“I would describe my style as ‘emerging.’ I am finding so many influences and I challenge myself to interpret those influences while injecting my own voice into the piece. I am a lifelong learner, and have recently embraced pottery, monoprinting and designing my own fabrics on my iPad. I enjoy mixing those media and expanding the inherent properties of fiber to create more layered, three-dimensional works. I am currently experimenting with mark-making and adding shading and dimension to my fiber work with acrylic paints and paint pens. And I’m finding new and interesting artists to follow on YouTube and Instagram every day. As a beginner, I am so inspired by the work of my fellow Greenville Fiber Artists and appreciate their generosity in sharing their expertise and knowledge with the group.”

Susan Rink is a native of the Washington, DC area and moved to Simpsonville, SC less than a decade ago. She is learning to talk slower, drive faster, and cook really good grits.

Linda Sexton-Patrick

Fiber Artist, The Apricot Lion

apricotlion@charter.net

After many years spent in college and university administration, in the early 80’s I founded The Apricot Lion, a textile design studio focusing on home decor.  Products included wall hangings, a pillow series, and a throw series, all using paintings on silk.  Later table runners and a scarf series were added.  Many of these items became further finished using contemporary quilting techniques.

Driven by my love of flora and fauna, the basis of my work originates in botanical illustration mixing color, textures, and a variety of fiber materials in more creative ways.

Summer Sizzle represents seasonal changes in our natural world.

Cynthia Steward

Biography 

Cynthia Steward has always had a passion for textiles and visual arts. She started sewing at a young age and eventually began designing and creating quilts. Over time, she discovered the power of art quilting, which allowed her to incorporate both traditional and non-traditional quilting techniques, and fabric surface design, to create art with both tactile and visual textures.  

Cynthia's background in engineering, as well as her travels, have played a significant role in shaping her artistic expression. She draws inspiration from the natural beauty of landscapes, as well as the elegant mathematical relationships that occur within nature.

Though primarily self-taught, Cynthia has also taken art courses in high school and has studied watercolor painting and drawing under notable artists. She has also attended workshops focused on mixed media, surface design, color theory, and quilting techniques, which have helped her develop and refine her skills.

Artist Statement

Fiber is an artistic medium with endless possibilities, offering a canvas for creating both visual and tactile textures. Embracing the challenges of working in fiber inspires me to find innovative ways to execute my vision. Drawing inspiration from natural and human designs alike, I find beauty in the organic formation of a mountain or river and the crisp architectural lines of a building facade.  

I enjoy exploring the relationship between lines and shapes and finding color palettes that convey the moment. I generally forgo precise planning, allowing for spontaneity in the design process and often take an improvisational approach to piecing together motifs and backgrounds from hand-dyed fabrics. I use color hue and value placements to create rhythm and movement and develop textures using various surface design and stitch techniques. Whether working on an abstract or representational composition, I strive to ensure the artistic elements merge in a way that engages the viewer. 

WillowsideStudio@gmail.com www.willowsidestudio.com 

Tricia Tillett
Fiber Artist

Tricia began sewing at age six and in the 90’s began a quilting journey from traditional quilt making to art quilting. After retiring from a career as a surgical technician, she focused on exploring the styles of many art quilters and the processes and techniques they used. She then began using multiple techniques in her original designs inspired by the colors, textures, and lifecycles she observed in nature. 

A significant influence on her designs comes from Ernst Haeckel (February 1834 – August 1919) a German zoologist, naturalist, eugenicist, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biologist and artist. His detailed illustrations at the cellular level of life can be seen in her art quilt “Neuron.” Tricia says she “manipulates fiber to express my vision of nature in art.”

Surface design is fundamental to Tricia’s art quilts which means she “layers” multiple techniques in each piece. A quilt sandwich may have hand-painted fabric, dyed fabric, applique, hand stitching, free motion quilting (“drawing” with her machine), found objects and embellishments, and many types of fabric from silk and cotton to high-tech textiles.

You can contact Tricia at triciatillett@hotmail.com.

Jean Van Valen

Jean Van Valin has been a sewist for many years, with emphasis on garment sewing, creating much of her own wardrobe. She gradually expanded into other areas including home dec, purses and accessories, and eventually quilting. 

With a new interest in art quilts, she enjoys exploring the use of other mediums in combination with traditional forms. She likes working with specialty fabrics such as silks or felted wool. 

Jean also enjoys watercolor painting.

Debbie Wilson

Debbie is a retired Greenville County Art teacher, basket weaver and gourd artist for the last 20 years. She likes to experiment with different materials.  She teaches presently at several gourd and basket retreats and is an active member of The Upper SC Basket Makers Guild, Delores Von Rosen Basket Guild, SC Gourd Society, American Gourd Society, Greenville Fiber Arts, and The Wild Hare Gallery.  Recently certified as a judge with the American Gourd Society, she has juried into several local shows, including the Anderson Arts Center, Art On Main, Artfields 2024 and The South Carolina Professional Fine Arts Show. Debbie taught at Furman University continuing education community classes and OLLI classes, NCBA, SC Weave- in Conventions, Weaving in the Sunshine State, The Wild Hare Gallery and several Gourd Gathering and Basket Weaving Conventions along the east coast.

Recent endeavors center around branching out to fiber experiments with paper manipulation, Gelli plate printing and adding naturals and texture to fibers and textiles.   Debbie says that the Fiber Arts Network group has opened up a brand-new road to travel on and it’s exciting to see all the facets that fiber can be. Debbie is a lifelong learner that is eager to “push” into new experiences and see which way the rabbit hole leads; life is too short to remain at a standstill.

Artist Statement

Never overlook what you can experiment with, sometimes the mundane can be spectacular! Remain observant and be a lifelong learner.