So I have posted about my fellow Fabrics... all except Robynne Cole.
Robynne I met before the Fabrigo's formed. She and I were both members of the Art Galley of Burlington Fibre Arts group at the time. We started sharing rides and became friends.
Robynne is a great person to get to know. She has taken many classes and is always open to new ideas. She has spent several weeks at the Halliburton School of the Arts. Trained first through Ryerson in Toronto in textiles she moved on to a career in accounting. She never gave up her sewing. Making clothing of all kinds for many years. Moving into traditional quilting then branching into Art Quilting.
Robynne is a person who is attentive to detail. She sometimes claims that she is not as free in her creativity but I think at times she is more reflective and that adds to her work.
She keeps us on track with her organizational skills as sometimes us more free spirited members can get off on a tangent.
Her curating and work with Fibre Content 2012, 2014 and upcoming 2016 has greatly promoted fibre art as fine art.
Through Robynne I finally joined SAQA and met Karen and Al through the parlour meetings held by Central Ontario Rep Dwayne Warner. Robynne assists with the organization of these meetings. The meetings allow us to see other artists work and have some inspiring speakers as well.
I know she remains involved with the Burlington Fibre Arts group at the Art Gallery of Burlington and now also is a board member of the AGB.
Here in her own words she describes herself
Robynne Cole
Artist’s Statement
Fabrics
are like paint for me, and batiks are my favourite. I am happiest when I am lost in thought of
all the opportunities each fabric can bring.
Making quilted art is a true passion for me and like most avid quilters
I seem to have an addiction to fabrics.
I have a huge stash of things to make and lots of fabrics just waiting
for my attention.
My
first attraction to sewing came from an aunt who made my cousins clothes. I was amazed by this process. I used to admire and praise friends who got
to wear things their Mom had made; much to their embarrassment as they
preferred store bought new!
Making
collages as a teenager I would clip and paste things from magazines to make my
own poster pictures. I grew up surrounded
by the ongoing work at my grandparents’ florist shop. I originally attended the Fashion Diploma
program at Ryerson, but after two years I changed career paths and went on to
University and became a Chartered Accountant.
For
years I made clothes and window treatments for friends and never had any
intention of making quilts, which seemed “old fashioned”. About 15 years ago I took a beginner quilt
class. I was hooked, “bitten by the bug”
and have never looked back. I no longer
wish to sew anything other than a quilt!
I
have read that many quilters have a mathematical or technical background as the
patterns really are a lovely play on angles, shapes, and colour and how they
all come together and interact. There is
also the artistic side that allows you to venture outside the given structures
and find the inspiration for something unique.
Attending
classes at the Haliburton School of Art, I felt so at home and was so enthused
it was as if my feet did not touch the ground while I was there. It is a moving spiritual thing to sense this
connection to what you are creating. I
love when I can just let the project come together in a manner that flows from
my inner being or intuition.
My
work often features combining batiks and traditional fabrics when they “talk”
to each other and embellishment with textured ribbons, yarns and beads. I like to work on projects that have a
special and lasting impact for the recipient; connections to special events, or
people in their lives, or milestones of their accomplishments, which can form
the story of the quilt.
I
think all paths in my life have taken me to this point and have contributed to
where I am now, following my passion to make quilted art.
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