Karen James Swing
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I have loved
fibers since I was introduced to macramé when I was 12 years old. Since then I have used
weaving, crocheting, knitting, hand embroidery, trapunto, quilting, machine quilting and
embroidery, surface design, piecing, and appliqué in my work. I am currently exploring hand-dyed and
hand-printed fabrics, machine quilting and embroidery, and other forms of surface design. Texture and color remain the focus of my work. Thread, as an artist’s medium, provides both
color and texture. Layering threads with
varying lengths and directions of stitches produces expressive textures. By blending and contrasting threads, colors are
intensified and almost take on a life of their own. As shown in my current body of work, I am pushing the unique sculptural aspects of fibers to also take on the painterly qualities of watercolors and pastels. |