The third artist in my “Learning from the Masters” series is Deidre Scherer. Deidre is not a quilter, but an artist who works in fabric and thread. She creates beautifully expressive portraits of our aging seniors, but uses no batting or bindings. In fact, she celebrates the raw edge, both in her stitching and the outside edges of her work.
I first became familiar with Ms. Scherer’s work after seeing her on Simply Quilts, when Alex Anderson introduced her as the cover artist of When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple. I had seen the book many times in bookstores, but I never realized the cover illustration was done in fabric and thread. I was floored that such a realistic and expressive portrait could be done in fiber.
Things I’ve learned from Deidre Scherer:
- you can create impressive results with simple materials. Deidre uses everyday calicoes and common cotton threads
- the difference between craft and art is in the artist. Deidre cuts directly into the fabric for the portrait pieces. No tracing, no patterns, just practice, practice, practice
- you can learn much from working in a series. Deidre had worked on a variety of subject matters early in her career, but really dedicated her work later to the subject of the elderly. Not only did her art improve, she received much acclaim after doing so
- don’t be afraid to be unique in your art. Deidre doesn’t use batting, fusible web, or bindings. She celebrates the unfinished look of her raw edge pieces
Will I be copying Ms. Scherer’s work? No. What I will do is take the lessons I’ve learned in studying her art and apply them to my own work. I create my own artistic style based on the influences of artists I admire.
Here is the “Learning from the Masters” series schedule for this week, in case you missed a post:
Monday: Sunday at the High
Tuesday: Gwen Marston
Wednesday: Ruth McDowell
Thursday: Deidre Scherer
Friday: Faith Ringgold
I’m archiving these in a category all their own so you can return to them. Who are your influences and what have you learned from them?
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