Sheryl Miller

My fiber journey began as a child, making my Barbie a lime green cape, followed by an electric blue and white dress for myself in fifth grade. Crochet, embroidery and then quilting caught my fancy. Machine quilting became a passion, and I taught machine quilting classes in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Art quilts are my focus, and this passion continues now.

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). I have studied with Betty Busby and Jane Dunnewold, learning new mixed media processes.

My art quilts are a combination of mixed media and collage. I work abstractly, using pieced and dyed fabrics as a base for my work. I layer hand-dyed, printed, and stamped fabrics, as well as hand decorated papers in these compositions, and frequently cut a piece apart and reassemble it to create further abstraction. The layering process adds depth. I am currently experimenting with adding clay elements as well.

Nature is my playground. I have a nature child nestled deep inside. Sitting in the crook of a pear tree, reading a library book, sent me to other lands, but kept me well grounded. Now 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. The passing seasons work their ever-changing magic on the garden as the sun changes its course. These seasonal changes influence my work too.

I am surrounded by the calm of nature. It circles around me every day, just as it did when I was two, playing in my backyard. Just as it will for the rest of my life.

Always In a Garden 2022 32.5” x 24.5” Mixed media collage NFS Smiller2617@cox.net