My Textile Art

Many of my designs and projects were created to be shared with other quilters: in a book, workshop, pattern kit or magazine article. It was and is very satisfying, I love to be shown projects by others that I designed, I always feel very privileged to have a little bit of me accepted in someone else's life. They were also an opportunity to travel and make some money.

It also brings with it challenges and restrictions.

I always have to be aware: is this something I can explain to others? Will they find the materials easy to acquire? Once they understand what I mean, will they find it easy to do? What about a quilter who is just starting out?

Over the years, I have made many pieces that were "just for me". They were created in between designing those "other" projects and over the next few weeks I will keep adding pictures to the simple slide show.

Why do I call this "textile art"? Why not "Art Quilts" or simply "Art"?

Because not all of these pieces are quilts. There is some gorgeous wearable art I did for an exhibition in 1998 and the Dodecahedron a few years ago, a 12 sided piece that sits on a plinth.

Why "textile"?

Because that is what defines my art. Painters do not call themselves "Art Painters" nor their art "Paint Art" because when visual art is talked about in general terms, "Art" is understood to be about paintings.

Tarot Obsession

I have been fascinated by the Tarot cards for about three decades. It started in jest: get a deck and practice doing some readings for friends and family. When the querent (that's the person the reading is done for ) freaked out when the Death or Devil card came up, I decided it wasn't fun anymore.

But my interest was piqued and over the years the symbolism and the use of archetypes of the Tarot became more and more fascinating. As expected, I wanted to do a quilt project on it. The question was, how? A full Tarot deck consists of 78 cards: 22 of the Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana or Court Cards. I knew I did not want to cover 78 cards! But what to do about the 22 Major arcana cards?

I decided: 22 A4 quilts, each to be framed individually.

By the end of 2006 I had done The Moon. I chose that card because it doesn't have a person in it and drawing people wasn't something I thought I could do.

The Magician and The Fool followed early in 2007. I had found ways to deal with having people in the "cards" and became much more comfortable working in the medium of Fabric Collage.

The big change came when I walked into the Feather and Lawry Design Gallery in Toowoomba in July 2007 and immediately knew I wanted to exhibit in that wonderful space. By the end of the year, The Emperor, The Empress, The High Priestess, Lovers and The High Priest was completed.

28 January 2008: The Chariot, The Hanged Man and Strength completed the first eleven. The slideshow shows them in no particular order.

I would love to get your comments .

The journey has been one of a growing confidence in my skills as a fabric collage artist. I even think I can draw a little and the latest pieces have become less of a collage and more of a picture.

I decided early on I would not attempt conformity or continuity in the pieces. The size is the same gor all, the label is the same and the frames will be the same too. Apart from that, I am letting the journey take me were it will.

Opening on Friday 13th June "Obsessions" will open at the Feather and Lawry Design Gallery in Toowoomba. It will feature my 22 small framed quilts based on the Tarot Major Arcana as well as some of my other art pieces.

I am delighted my friend Kathy Adams will also be exhibiting her art quilts and my daughter in law Sharon van Boven will exhibit her lovely paintings.

A great website on the tarot: is Aeclectic