Artist's Statement

It is with great ambivalence that we contemplate and create an artist's statement.  We have lived long enough to remember a time when an artist's work could stand on its own merit and it was up to the viewer to draw their own conclusions.  The act of creating art was indeed the artist's statement.  Critical discourse, be it conversational or written may have assessed the value of an artist's  merit or success, but the act of creating and putting it out there- placing it starkly in the chaotic world of sensory overload for the world to see, is what establishes one as an artist.

Why do we make art?  It is not for some validation of our lives borne out of suppressed dark childhood experiences, failed love, missed opportunities or any of a myriad of other causes.  The experiences of our lives certainly impact and sometimes form the impetus of our work, but we make art driven by one passion, to create.  For us the texture, color, and pliability of textiles speak as the medium for our creativity.  Our work is driven by a wish to keep our hands and minds challenged and busy.  It can be inspired by a baby's cry or its gurgling laughter, a sun rise or sun set, catastrophic war or terror, compassionate and charitable works, great passion or serene calm.  Our work can be utility driven or completely aesthetic in nature, whimsical or flamboyant, literal or metaphorical.  We enjoy adhering to a set discipline as in traditional quilting patterns and forms, but we love innovation- the mixing or combining styles and techniques to create a melange that speaks to the viewer via utility, color, and texture.  Our work is inspired by the stimuli our world has to offer real and ephemeral. 

Enough words!!!!!  Let the work speak for itself.

                                                                                    Joe & Kathy DeForest