Artist’s
Statement
I am inspired
by color and texture and passionate about spinning, weaving and designing.
I love using my handspun yarn from both luxury fibers
and hand dyed
wool to create yarns that are rich in color and texture. These yarns provide
the supplementary warp for the cloth I weave for my jackets and vests. I use
the process of hand dying cotton warp to express my fascination with vibrant
patterns and colors. For me, the methods to produce yarn and cloth are meditative
and peaceful.
I have had a desire to work with fibers for most of my life and
I am so grateful
that I have found this process which feeds my soul.
Mary
was born and raised in the El Cajon valley, approximately 17 miles east of
downtown San Diego, California and learned to sew at an early age with help
from her mother. Most of her clothes as a child were made by her mother, many
as matching mother-daughter outfits.
Sewing for herself throughout her school years, she set a goal for herself to
some day, spin and weave cloth to make garments. Unfortunately, this didn’t
happen right away: a working career, marriage, kids and even grandkids became
part of her life before she realized that time was slipping away and if she was
to realize her dream,she had to make it happen.
In 2001 she took a weaving class at UCSD and soon thereafter took spinning lessons.
Now incorporating all of these skills into her work, garments have won first
place awards at the 2006 and 2007 San Diego County Fairs, including Best of the
Weaving Division for both years. Additionally, one of her garments won a first
place Showcase award at the ASCH 2007 conference.
Mary retired from her work as an Executive Secretary for a local water district
after 35 years of service in 2005 and is now enjoying the extra time she has
furthering her fiber art.
