Creative Strength Training Member's Exhibition 2023 by Jane Dunnewold

Exhibition Artists

Zoie Holzknecht

Nan Travers

Janis Updike Walker

Tricia O'Connor

Meegan McKiernan

Janet Darcher

Tracy Urban

Marilyn Pitman Waite

Jane Jennings

100

Theresa Martini

Lynne Lee

Jan Gauvain

102

Susan Smith

Lynn Woll

Jacqueline Manley

104

Susan Serreze

Lynn Schmidt

Ileana Soto

106

Susan Lane

Lynda Wingrove

Ellen Nepustil

108

Susan Gilleland

Lyn Bainbridge

Eleanor Zimmer

110

Sue Bates

Lucy Snyder

Diana Fraser

112

Sonja Lee-Austin

Lorraine Amann Kirker

Christine Barker

114

Sheryl Miller

Lisa Galea Larrabee

Carla White

116

Sharla R Hicks

Linda Dawson

Bobbi Benson

118

Sharla Jean Hoskin

Laura Murray

Beth Frisbie Wallace

120

Sally Nole

Laura Ann Beehler

Barbara Corso Ide

122

Penny Beer

Kristin Rohr

Barbara Cardinal-Sorge

124

Paula Straw

Kerstin Engström

Barb Keiser

126

Patty Six 36

Karen Sophia Smith

Anne Rooney

128

Patricia Caffery

Karen McCann

Ann M Lee

130

Pam Lowe

Karen Hirschfeld Hendley 86

An Marshall

132

Orna Pascal

Karen Colett Frank

Alison Bainbridge

134

Norrie MacIlraith

Joyce Martelli

Al Bates Lombard

136

Noelle Evans

Jeanette Floyd

Adriana "Gigi" Mederos

138

Nancy Knoles

Jann Glisson

Words from Jane

The diversity of our CST community was always understood but never quantified until the inaugural exhibition in the summer of 2020. As was true then, this year we have even more tangible evidence of the many distinctive talents of participants, including quilting and stitching, along with the use of clay, and all varieties of mixed media, drawing and digital work. Some pieces tell stories we immediately grasp. Others allude to stories we will never fully know or understand. This exhibition also includes pieces that are beautiful in color or form, and that is the story each tells. There is something for everyone, because good work invites the viewer to engage, bringing his or her own version of the story into the equation. I am grateful for each of you who took time to prepare photographs for us. It is important to share that this is an inclusive exhibition and anyone who submitted work was included. Jurying serves a purpose, but within the Creative Strength Training community it is paramount that all feel welcomed as part of this event. I hope you are proud of the work you shared and that this is an inspiration to keep working. I hope those of you who chose not to enter this time around will do so in the future! Creating art is first and foremost an experiential gift to the maker, but sharing it brings another sort of sweet joy that everyone should have the chance to experience! Many thanks to K Wayne Harms for his attention to detail in designing a beautiful publication for you to enjoy. Without Wayne, and Zenna James – who oversees it all – this project would never come to fruition.

Zoie Holzknecht

Into Silence Instead (The Teacher) 2023 25” x 35” Photography 485. zoieholzknecht@gmail.com

I am a mixed media artist and photographer who uses digital compositing to create stories of emotional struggle. I often use the practice of combining personal archetypes and selfportraiture to explore who I am, where I think I’ve been, and what I might want to become. I create because there is no

better feeling in my experience than those sporadic and addictive moments when an image opens me to a new understanding of my behavior, my prejudices and pleasures, and my place in this messy and beautiful world of human interaction.

Tricia O'Connor

I play with found and created materials to assemble 2D and 3D mixed media works. I also dabble in metal and mixed media sculpture. This particular piece harkens to my Tree Girl soul, using layered images of a self-portrait (originally made with locust seed pods, pine needles, and dried grass), leaves, and my alcohol ink “splatter paper.” I pay close attention to the natural world, responding to what I see as well as my connection to it. My finished works often reveal information that I did not consciously see in the midst of creation. Tree Girl 2023 10” x 7.5” Mixed media print NFS Tricia8566@gmail.com

Tracy Urban

For One Breif Moment 2023 9"x 7" Paper, Ink NFS urbanorama@gmail.com

From childhood, nature has offered me a wellspring of meaning. It was during time spent outdoors that my family and I shared our happiest moments. The beauty and tranquility of natural spaces left an indelible mark on my soul.

In my art practice, I am drawn to the ephemeral aspects of both time and human emotions. In this piece, I seek to capture the fleeting yet meaningful moments that define our existence. This image depicts how the relationships of the

three individuals shown transformed over time. It encapsulates the journey from a shared moment of pure togetherness to a state of increasing estrangement that lasted until the deaths of two of the people shown.

Theresa Martini

A Peaceful Walk Until...

2023 15 1/2” x 15 1/2” Mixed Media Textiles NFS

The process of developing this scene helped me to find an oasis of peace in these turbulent times. Determining what represented a specific concept within the scene is strengthening my creative vision.

‘A Peaceful Walk Until…’ incorporates techniques and mediums I have learned. I created the grass, arch, sky, and water from Silk Fusion and wet felting methods. I utilized fabrics from my stash for the background rocks, foreground

flowers, the people, the cats, and dog’s body [his head a photo]. Using the Thermofax screen ‘Rocks’ on canvas, I created the walkway. The clouds are fibers lightly needle felted onto the sky.

Susan Smith

Symphony of Color 2023 40" x 32" Digital media printed at Spoonflower, Trapunto and free motion machine quilting NFS quiltrgrandma@yahoo.com

Taking photos and altering them with iPad apps and Photoshop. Having them printed as a whole cloth at Spoonflower and then being able to use quilting to enhance the beauty of nature makes my soul sing. Seeing the colors, you are

floating, gliding through the shades and tones. The colors dance across the leaves as if they are being led by the conductor of a spectacular symphony.

Susan Serreze

I come from a family of artists and sewing enthusiasts and frequently get my inspiration from science and nature. In Nautilus Garden, I brought together fabric dyeing, stamping, and embroidery to create a peaceful garden for the Nautilus. Nautilus Garden is a representation of the Fibonacci Sequence, a mathematical sequence that, in nature, describes spirals such as the Nautilus shell. Nautilus Garden is part of a series using the Fibonacci sequence as creative motivation. The Nautilus rests at the bottom of the ocean where the seaweeds enclose the Nautilus.

Nautilus Garden 2023 8" x 9" Materials: hand dyed cotton, acrylic paint, silk ribbon and thread NFS serreze@comcast.net

SusanLane

Time Warp 2023 16” x 20” Mixed media textile NFS susanlane502@gmail.com susanlanetextileart.com

"Time Warp" is an exploration of the intersection between technology and traditional craftsmanship. My work begins in the digital realm, where I manipulate pixels, colors, and forms. The act of sewing, which is tactile and labor intensive, introduces a sense of human touch and connection to the design. The threads I use become my brushstrokes, weaving through the fabric to draw attention to perspective, shapes, and textures. Every stitch is a manifestation of my passion for both the digital and the analog, each one a deliberate choice that brings the digital design to life in a unique way.

Susan Gilleland

Determination 2023 12.75” x 14” Mixed media textile NFS Sue Gilleland@me.com

The inspiration for this piece is twofold. My interest in drawing plants and using them to enhance fabric is one aspect of the picture. The subject matter began after reading about a woman,

Majd Mashharawi, who has been working for years on technology that will help her people in Palestine. The plants represent the determination of people to overcome evil with good. The current

war between Israel and Hamas has pulled my attention from making pleasing pictures, to bringing attention to a humanitarian crisis.

Sue Bates

In an Instant 2023 27” x 21” Textile, hand-dyed fabric, quilted NFS sueoftheglen@gmail.com

Safe inside my shell Making plans Then the shell cracks And Everything changes

SonjaLee-Austin

What’s Ideal? November 2023 13” round Art quilt NFS Sonja.LeeAustin@gmail.com FriendsFabricArt.com

Leonardo da Vinci was inspired by Roman architect Vitruvius’s writings of ideal body proportions when he drew a nude man within a circle and a square in about 1490. As da Vinci was inspired by

Vitruvius (aka “stole from” Vitruvius), I was inspired by da Vinci. I questioned why the human with ideal body proportions must be a man. Why not a woman? And why not portray the ideal in the “feminine”

medium of fabric and stitch? It seemed fitting to reinterpret da Vinci’s Vitruvian man with hand and machine stitching on a tea dyed damask linen napkin.

Sheryl Miller

Nature is my playground. I have a nature child nestled deep inside. I look out the studio windows into my bee and butterfly garden. The magical colors and shapes of plants and insects influence each piece I create as do passing seasons which work their ever-changing magic on the garden. My work has been included in juried exhibits, including the Tulsa Artists Coalition Member Show (Juror’s Choice award/2018) and the Fiber Artists of Oklahoma’s Fiberworks (2006-2022), and She Makes Art (2022-2023). I have studied with Betty Busby and Jane Dunnewold, learning new mixed media processes. I am surrounded by the calm of nature. It circles around me every day as it will for the rest of my life.

Gone to Seed 2023 49” x 25” Materials: commercial fabrics, recycled clothing, acrylic paint 250. smiller2617@cox.net

Sharla R Hicks

Kenya. Witnessed. Elephant migration, silent footsteps, endless foraging. Camera lens isolated. Didactic nanoseconds captured. Memory seared. The savannah. The life. The dry. The heat. The rain. The water. The sky. The sunset. The sunrise. The foliage. The color. The patterns. The creatures. The sounds. Spiritual awakening gifted. Indelible imprint fused. Soul permeated.

Elephant Resonance 2023 24” x 24” Photomontage NFS https://sharlahicks.com

Sharla Jean Hoskin

Confluence 2023 12”x 16” Digital Collage created in Procreate NFS sjhoskin1@gmail.com

Confluence combines two series. One is the use of opposites: complementary colors, organic / geometric forms, foreground / background, nature / technology. The other series is my signature ornamental cabbage used

as a vessel for color and pattern. The message is movement, created by dynamic directions, change in scale and layers. The layered structure started as a prompt “to set limits” in

an abstract collage class. My “limit” was to work with previous pieces. The background layer is a photograph of an old print, converted to high contrast, and used to “modify” the background with texture.

Sally Nole

The Last Mangrove Forest 2023 8” x 11” Mixed Media - Paper and textile NFS sallykay757@gmail.com

I am a mother, an artist, a storyteller, an avid bird watcher, a conservationist and an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion advocate. In my art practice I enjoy learning new techniques and processes. This mixed media collage, “The Last Mangrove Forest” uses several new techniques, including stamp making, dendritic printing,

image transfer and gelli printing. This piece is my plea to value and save the Mangrove forests of the world. We are destroying them so rapidly. Those forests provide food, shelter, and clean filtered water for countless species around the world. They also protect the coastline from erosion and flooding during storms, which are getting more violent each year.

Penny Beer

Early Summer's Bounty 2023 12" x 9" oil over acrylic on board NFS pdbeer@comcast.net

Painting has transformed my outlook. When searching for the beauty that surrounds me, I see the gentle shimmer of the darks and lights, the nuanced color in nature. I wish to highlight all that surrounds us moment to moment and transform the mundane

into the blessed. I endeavor to capture the joy of small gardening's results of labor in planting and tending: the small harvest. The first pick of a purple bean and early cherry tomatoes take center stage on my windowsill.

Paula Straw

Innocents

2023 42” x 36” Linen, Wool, Embroidery thread. NFS Photograph with permission of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum paulastraw13@gmail.com

I was inspired to create this piece after visiting the Holocaust Shoe Memorial in Budapest, Hungary. Sixty pairs of vintage shoes line the bank of the Danube River. I was deeply saddened to see a small child’s pair of shoes. I felt compelled to be aware of this history and to

act further to memorialize these innocent victims.

their small chests. In the early summer of 1945, along with their mother, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, they were transported to Auschwitz and murdered there.

The Schonfeld brothers are two faces of “Innocents”. In 1940 they lived in rural Hungary. Antisemitic laws did not allow them to attend school or sit on a park bench. Humanity must not forget They wore the yellow star on these atrocities.

Patty Six

I have enjoyed different art mediums through my life but my first love has been working with fabric, where I feel most satisfied. In my pieces I like to concentrate on visual texture, shapes, line, and color. Usually I start from a rough sketch then let my pieces evolve as I work on them. Since I began expressing my creativity through art quilts, I have found myself seeking a deeper emotional and spiritual connection to my work. My desire is to have my pieces contain my story along with my sense of order and balance.

Contemplations 2023 25.5” x 24” Art Quilt, commercial and hand dyed cotton fabrics NFS

Patricia Caffery

I was inspired by this year’s discussions to reflect on my life. Archetypes have played a large part in this piece as well as a hidden hint of a strong influence from the past.

It Is Me, Pat 2023 14” x 14” Hand dyed silk diponi, silk sari, painted kozo, fabric manipulation, hand stitching NFS Prc.fibremaven@gmail.com

PamLowe

Shape Shifter 2023 20” x 16” Acrylic Monoprint with Collage 250. plowestudio@gmail.com

I am a former improvisational quilt maker who has a new love of printmaking, painting and mixed media. Working with a large gel print plate to experiment with layers of color and textures is exhilarating! and opens up a whole new obsession and way of working with my hands. The variety of mark making tools is endless, and I love adding hand drawn scribbles and text to my work.

This particular piece is an example of my love of saturated colors and unique hand cut shapes. I also now love collage, and participating in CST in 2023 has proven to me that I can still learn to love new ways of creating, both improvisationally and intuitively. My current studio work focuses on a body of abstract prints related to the challenges of dementia and aphasia.

Orna Pascal

This piece is one of a series of works focusing completely on scraps. Once it was known in my quilt guild that I was happy to get scraps, people were happy to give them to me! I spent many enjoyable hours sorting, dreaming what to do with it all. Without any particular plan in mind (although greatly influenced by Agnes Martin and Judith Martin), I hand sewed the circles onto the squares. Then the squares wanted to be together. Finally it was mounted on thick black felt, finished off with orange French knots in the middle of each circle.

Grid 2022 21”x 28” Fabric NFS orna@sonic.net www.ornapascal.com

NorrieMacIlraith

Working with a variety of textiles has been a mainstay all my life. Recent years have journeyed me into textile art applications. On occasion I accept a challenge among other textile artists and ‘Fantasy Leaves’ was no exception. Along with two others, the panel called “Big Dream Leaf” was decided uponeach choosing own colour scheme. Directive, “to do something with this.” Not one to do what everyone else may do with a panel, I intuitively envisioned a larger picture. My Engineer Archetype moved in figuring out how to achieve the desired outcome. “Fantasy Leaves’ is the result of the panel total deconstruction with addition of other materials. The background leaves were designed onto tracing paper using Ricky Tim’s “Rhapsody” technique and sewn together. The large center leaf represents a Canadian Maple Leaf while the others fill in the corner areas. Taking the deconstructed leaves, I stitch appliquéd some and with others inserted wireform mesh to create a 3-dimensional surface effect. Jewelry wire was couched into the middle veins of leaves. I enjoyed not only the challenge, but utilizing a variety of construction processes in creating ‘Fantasy Leaves’ making this a unique example of my art. Fantasy Leaves 2023 42”x 42" Cotton panel, cotton fabrics, wireform mesh, jewelry wire (mixed media) 300. n.macLTD@icloud.com

Noelle Evans

In Search of Song 2023 18” x 18” Textile mounted to stretched canvas NFS n3vans@2evans.com

In a moment of perfect expression, my Artist loses herself in the rhythm, the heartbeat, of the work. She feels it in her soul and there is poetry. I aspire to fulfill my Artist’s vision and tell my story, sing my song, express my

heart. I want you to come with me, to be engaged. It’s OK if you don’t hear my story or see me in my work. My hope is that you hear your story, you sing your song, and see something of yourself in the work that I do.

Nancy Knoles

I am moved by Nature’s effect on the world revealed through weathered surfaces or slowly changed elements which speak of ancient pasts and evoke the enduring nature of life. Divine Stillness was drawn from my innermost being. Creative Spirit urges me to express the reverence I have for life where layers are worn away to reveal its own kind of beauty.

Divine Stillness 2021 17.75” x 20.25” Mixed Media/ pieced fabric, acrylic, oil pastel, Prisma pencil, gold leaf, appliqué, silk thread, hand and machine quilting NFS ncknoles@comcast.net

Nan Travers

Too many times in our lives we let others take a piece of our heart, like a thief in the night. Sometimes we are the thief, burying our heart to protect it and then forgetting to bring it back out into the light. Stealing our heart can only affect us if we limit our hearts to what is taken. Our hearts are bigger than what can be stolen. And, our hearts keep growing beyond what we ever thought possible. My Heart is Too Big for the Thief’s Den represents the unboundedness of our heart regardless, even if someone or something is attempting to pin it in or steal it like a thief. I have always loved boxes, collecting many over the years. As a fiber artist, I spend most of my artistic endeavors felting, dyeing, and creating art cloth and art papers to turn into wall hangings, 3-D pieces, and clothing. Recently, I decided to learn how to make boxes to create assemblages. Starting first with making felted boxes, I found myself too limited in the types of boxes I could create. I then turned to learning classic box making, covering bookboard with papers and cloths. This new-found love engages the artist and engineer in me, allowing me to use my art cloth and papers while constructing boxes that can express the meaning behind the imagery that I want to share.

My Heart is Too Big for the Thief’s Den 6.25” x 6.5” x 7” Mixed Media Assemblage NFS

My Heart is Too Big for the Thief’s Den has many different items placed in the rooms. Each are representative of a piece of my life, many of which I let be stolen. The Thief’s Den also comes with a get-away car and two doors that are slightly open. This means that if I find myself once more entering the Den, I can still slip out quickly and get away. The heart in the den is already outgrowing it boundaries and shedding some of its golden pieces as it forms new life.

Meegan McKiernan

I am a mixed media fiber artist, in love with the tactile. My maternal grandmother taught me to sew at age six, and I have since immersed myself in all forms of stitchery, weaving and embellishment. I continue to create “story dresses” ~ narrations of my life in dress form. Making art helps me capture conscious and dreamtime wisdom. Collage is the muse that helps me relax my perfectionist and get on with the joy of fluid expression. I invite into my current work the surprise of accidental beauty, meaning that arrives without pondering, and the charm of imperfection.

Haystack 2023 6.25” x 10” Painted and found papers NFS meeganmary@comcast.net

Marilyn Pitman Waite

Spinning Plates Home, a place to make Art embeds my inner and outer space Bursting forth in joys and struggles This image appeared in a very chaotic period. I scribbled it down. Challenges kept coming. I kept scribbling. These scribbles were inspired by Niki de Saint Phalle’s Monumental Women. My Woman was juggling plates full of challenges which made full use of my 30 years of creativity by mustering my creativity, courage and confidence. I celebrate my Artist, whose image concretized the experience in this piece using various papers, ink and paint, felt, buttons, dyed lace, and embroidery thread.

Spinning Plates 2023 12”x 9” Mixed Media Textile NFS

Lynne Lee

Creating a piece of textile art, for me, is a solitary process that pulls upon my current state of mind and is influenced by all of life’s adventures and experiences both in the creative world and in all of one’s day to day activities. All the good, the bad and the ugly. There are moments of true joy and contentment that must be embraced, remembered and celebrated. Life is certainly a journey and we are all heroines as we navigate through.

Life is Full of Joy 2022 80” x 80” All cotton 5500. lynnelee52@gmail.com 57

Lynn Woll

Amoebae form pseudopods that can be extended and retracted as the cell moves. They have a single nucleus that contains most of its DNA. Essential for healthy aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, they come in different sizes and their shape continually shifts and changes. Some amoeba are pathogenic or lethal to humans. This piece takes artistic license to how these tiny organisms look and work together to improve the environment by recycling the nutrients in the soil.

Amoebae 2023 41" x 33" Mixed media textile NFS

Lynn Schmidt

Abundance Can Follow You Wherever You Go 2023 16” X 20” Mixed Media Textile NFS

My Nature Child Archetype found joy in the collage approach to playing and let the Procrastinator leave. “Abundance can follow you wherever you go” was an appealing idea. The inspiration was 3 napkins from a friend who collects

them. I loved the headdresses on the duck (bunching onions) and collection of birds with various wild flower headdresses. This all appealed to my love of gardening and wildlife. The idea of collage and

playing overtook me. This piece makes me smile as I totally lost all judgement and just played. I made the background in Jane's textures and background class. The vases are my first gel plate attempts. The necklace was donated from another friend. 61

Lynda Wingrove

Hermit: Into the Desert of Isolation is the seventh piece I have completed in my Archetype Series. Hermit is an introvert and suffers from social anxiety. As a result, she often wants to shut other people out, which leads her to feel isolated. Cheetah (representing my Higher Self) knows that being alone offers the gift of solitude which allows her to be introspective, to recharge her energy and to appreciate the beauty of nature, while still remaining open to others. I particularly enjoyed doing all the embroidery and beading to embellish this piece.

Hermit: Into the Desert of Isolation 2023 24" x 24" Textile mixed media NFS lynda.wingrove@gmail.com

Lyn Bainbridge

I am a writer and teacher of English but in my art practice I have been playing with text as a purely visual expression. The ‘30-minute painting’ exercise by Louise Fletcher sparked off a series of related compositions based around the same dimensions, marks and palette and exploring the emotional qualities of these imagined letters. This form of asemic writing, or writing without meaning, has become a tool to free up my own emotional responses and to engage the viewer’s imagination without dictating where that imagination may lead them.

Logogram Number Three 2023 16” x 23.5” Acrylic on gessoed paper 120. lsbart6@googlemail.com @lyn_artandthread

Lucy Snyder

Color and textiles have fascinated me since childhood so I have always been drawn to the needle arts and photography. In my early years I learned embroidery and garment construction, which progressed to designing liturgical art for churches. In recent years my focus has changed to creating mixed media art quilts on a smaller level that include both commercial and hand-painted fabrics. I am inspired by photographic images that I have digitally altered and printed on textiles, and I have a deep curiosity about new tools and processes such as AI, painting and designing my own fabrics, special printers and other creation electronics.

Bound By Love 2023 12" x 12" Mixed Media Art Quilt NFS

For the future, I am committed to sharing stories through innovative fiber art techniques, and exploring my creative spirit with other fiber artists as it continues to bring energy and joy to my life.

Lorraine Amann Kirker

I am an artist who has been involved with embroidery and textiles for nearly fifty years. I have studied with numerous well know artists from the United States, the UK and beyond including Barbara Lee Smith, Wen Redmond, Maggie Grey and Constance Howard. Currently I am focused on using my own photographs which I digitally manipulate in apps and software before printing on fabric or paper. My favorite technique is the layering or blending of two or more images to create an unusual final image which I print and often embellish with hand or machine stitching.

Autumn Blend 2023 12" x 9" Digital mixed media. Photograph of botanical heat press print digitally blended with a photograph of fall foliage taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina in October 2022. lkirker16695@gmail.com

LisaGaleaLarrabee

Dawn and dusk are my favorite times of day. As a fiber artist, I’m intrigued by the dramatic skies and silhouettes that are unique to these transient shifts between dark and light. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with attempting to capture the essence of twilight’s complex simplicity and the childlike wonder it always inspires in me.

Sunset for Two 2023 10" x 11" Mixed materials: repurposed cotton sheet, fabric paint, thread, silk scraps NFS lisa.galea@maine.edu

Linda Dawson

I was an artist searching for my voice. I enrolled in Jane Dunnewold’ s Creative Strength Training where I discovered my archetypes. I recognize that they are me. I was free to create my art and discovered my voice. My engineer and artist work together as partners to create sacred geometry, mandalas, Islamic designs, and fractals. I studied the embroidery work of Clarissa Grandi, parabolic paper stitching; straight lines connecting the sides of an angle and creating a paraboloid. The technique was simple, and my engineer loved it. My artist had me arrange the triangles to create a mandala. Let Your Light So Shine was created.

Let Your Light So Shine 2023 12” x 12” Metallic embroidery thread, poster board NFS Fiberart2@verizon.net

LauraMurray

Dreamscape structures feature windows with reflective colored lights that invite the viewer to imagine boundless possibilties about who and what might live behind the light.

Dreamscape Reflections 2023 17" x 12" materials: silk, cotton, dye, metallic foils applied to the fabric with heat and pressure NFS

Laura Ann Beehler

As a mixed media fiber artist, my work is very intuitive combining fibers with natural and found objects, inks, paints and recycled materials. The everyday world around me is my inspiration. Whether it is an object I feel, a sound I hear or a color I see, my creativity is guided by the myriad of these inspirations which I encounter on a daily basis. Megrims, 18.5” x 10”, is composed from distressed and reclaimed textiles, stitch, and emotions. These dark, distressed fibers and stitch helped me express and work through a bleak period of my life.

Megrims 2023 18.5” x 10” 450. Lajetx@satx.rr.com

Kristin Rohr

Taurus Moon 2023 6” x 22” Hand-dyed silk and linen, stitched NFS

Earth and water elements combine for a sense of security and flow. I instinctively used colors and stitched lines to express these qualities. The earth element is evident in the brown

silk, as well as the central solid, stable square. The water element is evident in the long bluegreen shapes and the flowing stitched lines. Stitches are regular on the brown moon and

less constrained, if not random in the sky. This piece was a chance to reflect on the meaning of the Moon in Taurus in my birth chart.

Kerstin Engström

The love of books, words and letters has always been deep within me. In my profession words have been my primary working tool. When I set the first steps on my artistic path it felt natural to start with a mix of watercolor and calligraphy. I have also studied bookbinding, both traditional and contemporary. I have been member in a writing group within CST for a couple of years. This year we have made writing inspired by a short line, a prompt. The text on this watercolor is my poem from such a prompt. The watercolor could be viewed without reading the text. It is up to the viewers to choose if they want to make the effort to read. In my work I try to include parts from the different techniques and I experiment with materials, form and contents. I live on the countryside in Sweden and nature, plants and animals are often inspiration for my work.

Unconditional Love 2023 15’’ x 7.5'' NFS Watercolor and ink on paper kerstin@stenlia.se Instagram kerstinstenlia

Karen Sophia Smith

My self portrait took many turns as it developed, including an urge to let it go in the trash!! I’m so glad I persevered through that doubt and completed the piece! With the guidance from a friend, I had a “conversation” with the piece to see what “she” wanted to tell me. She had an urgent message for me: “I Love Life!” she said. Suddenly I could see the piece in a whole new light. I am being birthed into a new chapter of creativity, dancing toward that future with arms outstretched to embrace whatever may come.

I LOVE LIFE 2023 28" x 21" Mixed Media Textile NFS karensophia67 karen.windslove.0417@gmail.com

Karen McCann

I have been combining photography and textiles for years. Through many iterations of these mediums, my artistic expression has evolved. Studying the archetypes has given an added layer of what makes me tick, and how I choose to share my art with the world. “Hometown Nature Collage” highlights local nature photos and vintage linen in a muted palette. I arranged layers, subtracted, and am always striving for simplicity. I use photography to observe the world. I sew to use my hands in a creative way. When the dance between the two is attained, it makes my heart sing!

Hometown Nature Collage 2023 15” x 13” Photography/textile NFS memories.kmccann@gmail.com

Karen Hirschfeld Hendley

I am an intuitive artist, don't usually make plans. I love to experiment with various media. I am especially inspired by sewing items I can wear. They often become a canvas on which I can express my ideas.

Peachy Dress 2023 35" x 17" Mixed media textile NFS

hendleykaren@gmail.com 87

Karen Colett Frank

The evening before my 65th birthday, I walked a labyrinth in a lovely walled garden in Dingle, Ireland. I experienced a strong sense of connection, as I thought of my Irish ancestors. I don’t know where they came from or when they left. Maybe they even lived nearby. May is my mother’s paternal grandmother and the link to my unknown Irish Murphy ancestors. The spirals in the fabric and quilting are a nod to her maternal Irish line, as is the predominance of green. This is a work about connection and family history and answers that may never be found.

May’s Roses: My GreatGrandmother’s Flower Garden 2023 10.75” x 14.5” Commercial Cotton Fabric; Personal Photos; Oil Paint Stik; Various Embroidery Threads NFS

karencolett@gmail.com

Joyce Martelli

Where Am I 2023 21” x 32” Acrylic drawing transferred to fabric, hand embroidery and machine stitching. NFS joycemartelliartist@gmail.com

Where Am I was created from contemplating the next chapter of my life. It appears on the surface that I have my act together, but inside is different. I am searching for the me. I am moving from past roles placed on me by others and

myself and looking for the very soul of me. As I search for me, I will try and walk away when I need to do so and enjoy the journey. Wish me well on my journey. I wish you the same, my friend!

Jeanette Floyd

This was created in the last four months of my mother’s life. We spoke about life and death. She talked about how her body and mind were betraying her and that she prayed she would go see Jesus in her sleep. But the next conversation would be about something that made her happy or laugh. Even with all that she was going through, I felt this verse from Corinthians was appropriate. The apostle Paul wrote: “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. We rejoice because of Christ. We are not crushed, despairing, forsaken, or destroyed.” MOM is no longer in the body that held her earth bound, but now free. This is my interpretation of those conversations with her.

Conversations With Mom 2023 82” x 40” 489 pieces of batik fabric 3,500. jennasartstudio; instagram

JannGlisson

I work in many mediums and my subject choices now are quite personal. I find using the simplicity of a graphite pencil helps me reveal the essence of the subject of my portraits. My granddaughter Audrey Jane is the subject of this portrait. She follows in my footsteps as an animal lover since she was a toddler – Nanna joy! I gifted the drawing to Audrey Jane on her 11th birthday in October. It resides on the wall in her bedroom.

The Goat Whisperer 2023 14” x 11” Graphite drawing NFS

Janis Updike Walker

Vintage fabrics and antique objects are the artist's palette I use to embroider personal meaning into fiber collage. My art features the symbolic language of archetypes to describe aspects of my personality. “The Guardian” represents a mandala of these archetypes. Each serve as protector of my treasured values. Vintage Asian brocade, jet beads and satin fringe are stitched onto a silk brocade Victorian mourning parasol. Outer and inner panels portray my individual attributes. The ivory handle represents my anchor. Stories of my ancestors intrigue me. I contemplate their influence and wonder what inspiration I will pass along. The Guardian 2023 32” x 32” Fiber Collage NFS

Janet Darcher

Early Explorers 2023 30"x 23" Materials-Photo printed cotton fabric. Cotton backing, batting and thread were used. NFS darchje@gmail.com

I am inspired every time I'm with my grandchildren. Seeing the world through their eyes, with wonder, as they explore. I try not to interrupt, because it is never appreciated. My piece Early Explorers was a result of work done in the CST Topical Group Digital Cloth led by Jane

Godshall. I learned about photo manipulation apps I could use on my phone and how to make adjustments to create a work of art. It was so great to be able to use a photo of my grandchildren exploring as I explored a new technique.

Jane Jennings

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The subject of my current body of work focuses on our natural resources and the condition of our planet Earth. The material I use is silk organza, hand painted, commercially printed, or in digitally layered images that I print and assemble in my studio. The colors and shapes created by layering the material fascinate me and challenge me to push the boundaries further.

The Sanctity of Water 2023 20” x 16” Printed Silk Organza Assemblage 880. Jfam12345@gmail.com janejenningsart.com

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JanGauvain

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I am a textile/found object artist and look to Nature for inspiration. I view the archetype of the Saboteur as a change agent that deconstructs forms, allowing new and fantastic shapes to come into being. The Saboteur is constructed mostly from deer bones collected over the years. The piece located under the ribcage is a beaver skull, representing the “shadow” side of the archetype. I’ve used both glue and wire to attach the bones. My hope is that The Saboteur will encourage viewers to delve deeper into the forces that drive their lives.

Saboteur 2023 17-5/8”x 9”x15-1/2” Materials: Animal bones, beaver skull, glue, wire and abalone NFS jangauvain@gmail.com

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Jacqueline Manley

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Strong Independent Woman 2023 34.5: x 48” Mixed Media Textile NFS

St. Emilion, France, 2009, classic and perfect, plus my Great-Aunt Carrie from a century prior in small-town Nebraska. The images combine to exemplify my Warrior archetype—Both are beautiful, classic and strong. I knew her

when she no longer had a flowery hat and a parasol; she and Uncle Jess were farmers, and she cared for land and beasts with the same strength and joy she embodies here.

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Ileana Soto

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Inspired by Beth Salvia’s Collage Group, and the word prompt “stone”, I began to assemble fabric I had printed with thickened dyes in 2019. The original design was meant to reflect the stone tiles of an ancient Roman ruin called Italica, outside of Seville, Spain. Where once clear, sharpedged buildings stood, they have now crumbled from the shaking of the earth. There is clear movement downward, floating irregular shards, fear about what will be found underneath. The boundaries of reality are blurred. Is it an earthquake or the rolling tremors of war?

Tremblor 2023 36” x 22” Mixed media textile NFS laniluisa@comcast.net www.ileanasoto.com

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Ellen Nepustil

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Summer Dreams 2023 30” x 30” self dyed and self dye printed cotton fabric 750.

As I saw recipients of my bed quilts move into nursing homes this past year, taking the bed quilt with them, I realized how much my gift meant to them. Will I be remembered as a quilter, as an engineer or as a loving mother, sister, daughter and wife? Will anyone else see how much my quilting

has meant to me? Dyeing white fabrics, adding stamps, waxed designs, and stencils to create fabric unique to me. I’m always piecing and stitching, always creating quilts, it’s my meditation, my personal therapy, my creative life, keeping my hands busy and my mind engaged.

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Eleanor Zimmer

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DZ 2022 15" x 10" Materials: Pastel on pastel paper NFS grupetto@aol.com

This art is from a sunny day on our deck in the backyard. I think this depicts his joyful and engaging personality.

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Diana Fraser

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I started hand sewing at twelve making doll clothes using a Sears catalog as inspiration. After years of volunteering, I decided it was my time to pursue my love of art. I’m like a crow, any shiny object grabs my attention. So, I tend to collect techniques to store in my art vault. Because of my variety of interests, I have a difficult time focusing and deadlines are difficult for me. My passion is people.

Three Sisters 2023 30” X 45” Mixed media textile Wallpaper, Acrylic paint, fabric, beads, paper napkin, photo 200. Diana Fraser difraser8@gmail.com

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Christine Barker

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While exploring my Archetypes and preparing to fly abroad to meet a new grandchild during COVID, I created a powerful picture of a hawk which I felt symbolized an animating energy that I later realized was guiding my three archetypes associated with the element, air. Arctic Fox symbolizes my fire element. I have always loved the red fox but I discovered the Arctic fox is more playful and curious; good advice for my dilettante, victim, and hedonist. The silk yarn was a perfect ‘mix’ (my word for the year) against the painted cotton. I loved stitching this watchful, stimulating presence.

Arctic Fox 2023 14” diameter Painted cotton, silk and rayon thread NFS freehandimpressions@ gmail.com freehandimpressions.com

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Carla White

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I love the beautiful riotous colors of trees in autumn on Texas Hill in Vermont. My mom wished for a quilt to go on her bathroom wall last Christmas, so I used one of my own photographs from the previous fall. Every weekend as I grew up my family would go and play on Texas Hill. We cut ski trails, played in the fields, gardened, hiked, cross country skied, and cut wood. It was and is a wonderful place to wallow in my nature child archetype.

Texas Hill 2023 20” x 31” Mixed media textile NFS

glowbirdy@gmail.com www.glowbirdyquilts.com

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Bobbi Benson

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Conversations in a Crowded Room 2023 12” x 16” Mixed Media; Paper and Thread NFS Bbenson364@gmail.com

I was sitting in a restaurant one day waiting for a friend when I became aware of the cacophony of sounds – people talking, dishes clattering, silverware clinking. The conversations groups of people were having floated above the noises, and it became a sea of words, laughter, and murmurings. I began to think about how

you could visually capture that moment. This collage attempts to create layers of those sounds from the muted tones in the background to the colorful joy and laughter to individual words and the spaces in between. Then, weaving the groups together with the threads of commonality.

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Beth Frisbie Wallace

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“I am Strong” How do I go on? Losing my best friend, confidant, and love of my life was a sudden and devastating change for which I was not prepared. We had supported each other for over 40 years. The loss left me overwhelmed with responsibilities we once shared and brought unexpected new challenges and decisions. In the sea of loss, loneliness, and despair, I ask myself, “How do I go on?” As I journey through grief, words from the Helen Reddy anthem echo in my mind boosting my confidence: “If I have to, I can face anything I am strong.”

I am Strong 2022 42” x 30” Stitched mixed media layered textile NFS bf_w@hotmail.com

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Barbara Corso Ide

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This piece is my interpretation of the Artist archetype. Although I’ve been quilting for 20 years, I have always worked to incorporate photographs into my quilts and recently into digital collages printed on cloth. I use original images and scanned photos that are modified by iPad apps or computer software. I also look carefully to see if one of my quilted pieces fits into the collage. “The Quilt Artist” demonstrates my growth as a designer of themed wall hangings and emphasizes the technology, as well as the fabric craft, which blend into the final composition.

The Contemporary Quilt Artist 2022 38” x 28.5” Digital Collage printed on cotton and professionally quilted by Carol Ann McCandless. NFS Barbara.corso.ide@gmail.com

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Barbara Cardinal-Sorge

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I am a ceramic artist, and discovered my love of clay, and the ability to texture and create my own glaze color palettes in 1986. I previously traveled the road of fabrics through my own wardrobe of home created wearables. I continued to grow as a self-taught ceramic artist primarily in the functional dinnerware world. Today I experiment not only with clay, traversing the world of sculpture, and adding found objects, I also incorporate my love of fabric dyeing and stitching. I endeavor to show caricatures of human archetypes through ceramic animals in whimsical or allegorical roles. I continue to add to my ceramic world by mixing multiple mediums. To further reach my own audience I often incorporate my own poetic musings. I strongly feel that the end result of a work is the serendipitous journey taken by the child within who loves a surprise ending.

Strut Your Stuff 2022 42" height x 36" width Mixed Media: Ceramic, fiber and found metal objects NFS

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Barb Keiser

Desert Dream

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2023 8.25" x 9" Fabric and manipulated paper NFS beekay1899@outlook.com

Since I was a child, I’ve been drawn to color. Those first crayons were magic. Coloring books were fun but the lines were only there for reference. I still like to see what can happen outside the lines. As an artist, combining images and colors and textures intrigues me. Unexpected juxtapositions lead me into moving and maneuvering until the most satisfying creation develops. Serious play is my mode of creating. This artwork developed initially from painted paper that suggested a desert to me. Printed papers and commercial fabric joined in the mix, and helped build the sense of a desert ready to bloom after a rain.

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Anne Rooney

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This piece was inspired by my then 3 year old granddaughter making footprints on paper. The way the footprints faded seemed to reflect her growing up and dancing away.

Dancing Away 2023 33” x 11” Acrylic paint on silk and cotton NFS anne.rooney@hotmail.co.uk

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Ann M Lee

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Sewing and needlework have been my passion since childhood. With a goal of using just my current stash of fabrics and art materials, I am motivated to learn new techniques and combine “old” things in new ways. My Heart Is Full began with a large swatch of embroidered silk. It is one of many recent works about Nature’s beauty and importance to our lives. I play with paints and machine embroidery, but it is the handwork that soothes my soul. Slow stitching helps me gather my thoughts and process my feelings about the theme of my work.

My Heart is Full 2023 15" x 20" Mixed Media Textile 350. AnnMLee@outlook.com

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An Marshall

The Power of Thought

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2023 19" x 20" Materials: Mixed Media Textile 499. an@anmarshallartist.com www.anmarshallartist.com

I was inspired by the quote from Peace Pilgrim, a peace activist of the 1950’s, “If you knew how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” I am in awe of the fact that one thought can change my world, can

change the world around me or change the planet. My goal was to portray how the single firing of an electrical impulse from one neuron to the next can light up the world and change the future. This piece reminds me throughout the day

that my challenge is to be mindful of my thoughts as I do I have a choice. Techniques used were fabric weaving, fabric painting, fusion of various fabrics, machine quilted.

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Alison Bainbridge

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I have always loved handmade dolls. On my bucket list I have written ‘make a doll completely by hand’. I had the hand dyed velvet gifted by a friend and all the other fabrics came from my stash as I am following the rule to use what you have. The dyed velvet spoke to me of the deep silent paths of Autumn woods. My Dryad began to take shape. She is all hand sewn and I wanted her to look otherworldly but approachable. She took two months to complete. I love her, she looks exactly as I dreamed her. I have crossed ‘handmade doll’ from my bucket list. I am already dreaming some more.

Dryad Summer 2023 18.5” x 5.5” Cotton calico, velvet and various stash remnants NFS

magic4scripts@googlemail.com

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Al Bates Lombard

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History Reimagined 2023 18.5” x 38" Hand-dyed fabric NFS www.albatesart.com

This is the Williams family, inspired by a photo taken around 1906, Eleanor Williams, my Great-grandmother is pictured in the light blue dress that says Protect Trans Kids. She has numerous descendants who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, including myself. Given the current barrage of anti-trans and non-binary laws I

wanted to reimagine Eleanor and her family as allies for the LGBTQ+ community. I received permission from AC Goldberg (@transplaining) to use the words Trans Kids Rock a phrase he coined.

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Adriana"Gigi" Mederos

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After joining the CST Community in 2021 I began a series of self-portraits as archetypes. My exploration has included pieces realized in colored pencils, graphite, pen and ink, mixed media, sculpture, and embroidery. In the past months I have started a series of photographic performance works assisted by my husband, Stevie Black. The Rebel is part of the latest group, which included The Seeking Hag, The Victim, Survivor and Seeker in the Mist. Many of these self portraits make use of my own hand-painted and/ or embroidered textiles.

The Rebel 2023 24" x 18" manipulated photograph NFS

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For more information about the Creative Strength Training online community visit my website!

www.janedunnewold.com Jane Dunnewold dunnewoldj@janedunnewold.com