Mary A. Ritter

Cary, NC

Solitude on Currituck Sound

The concept of reflection is larger than just what I see with my eyes, and as I take morning walks, I am drawn into a time of contemplation. This allows me the quiet to notice things I might miss in the din of everyday life. It is in these times that I might see a new bird, or notice the shape of a leaf or the way the light hits the water. “Enlightenment” came from my fascination of how light plays through the trees to create beautiful patterns in the water and sparkles on the reeds along the water’s edge. I have been to this place and had this meditative moment. When I moved to North Carolina, I was struck by the vivid colors of the sky, landscape, and water. The world of nature has always been my inspiration: it is there that I find the myriad of textures, shapes, and deep, rich, saturated colors.

The concepts for my pieces begin from my immersion in nature, which I translate through sketches or photos taken during my exploration and experience. “Enlightenment” was created by merging a watercolor with digital image manipulation. The image was printed on fabric and enhanced with machine quilting and collaged thread work. The foreground was left intentionally simple so that the viewer would be drawn back by the dappled light playing on the water and through the trees. Materials include: watercolors; photographs with digital enhancement; paint and Inktense pencils; Solvy.

Joan C. Rutledge: With a degree in fine arts and a thirty-seven-year career as a corporate graphic designer, I am finally able to pursue my dream of working as a full-time artist. I learned to sew by making traditional quilts, but quickly found myself drawn to making art quilts. As my work evolves, I find myself drawing upon my fine-arts background. I like to sketch and make small watercolors of my vision for the quilted pieces. Today, I find myself incorporating many techniques: drawing and painting on fabric, thread work and felting to evoke a special moment in time or place. Sometimes playing with paint and textures will inspire a piece, and at other times, the painted piece becomes the piece that ultimately gets quilted. Being a fiber artist allows me to communicate my artistic vision through paint, fabric, and thread.