When I learned how to stretch raw canvases in undergrad I was very aware that doing this step well created a strong painting foundation, and that meant that I needed to adopt textile concerns, (tension, thickness, thread, textures…etc). I hated buying canvas, and started experimenting by sewing fabric scraps together to create new surfaces, and learned how different fabric absorbs paint. But through it all, textiles always took a back seat to painting. I think since then I’ve been trying to figure out how to make sense of the two mediums along with the content behind my work, by sewing plush items and various fabrics to surfaces. My residency at the Textile Arts Center answered a lot of those questions and gave me a concentrated focus on textile production and its historic value. The way I’m working now is still very new to me, and I’m trying to get comfortable with leaving out the stretcher bars for certain pieces.
