Above to Below
13feb(feb 13)12:00 pm06apr(apr 6)4:00 pm
Event Details
It’s about the journeys that my eyes take as they “greet the day.”
They see the first hint of color as they climb above the mountain ridges.
They see the sun command the sky.
They applaud the dancing of clouds that choreograph intricate, and sometimes wild, gyrations.
Finally, they hear the music of wind, plants, birds, and life-—creating songs.
Each level features different theatrical productions, new players, different backdrops, and a new script—every day.
My eyes absorb these details in nature, and collaborate with my mind and emotion to create art that takes you from ABOVE to BELOW.
I am most inspired by being outdoors and experiencing the atmosphere of a place. I want to capture a passing moment in nature and keep it alive in my memory to experience it again as I look at my work. I focus on nature studies with close-up views that concentrate on detail. I photograph, or draw with colored pencils, on location and then translate these images into fabric collages. Sometimes I just elaborate on the colored pencil drawing and leave it at that.
Fabric has many characteristics. I use reverse sides, rip, cut, wrinkle, distress, and pull threads. It is very flexible. The challenge is to use fabrics from my stash and make them depict the scene without using paint or dyes. My process is intricate—I have no drawn patterns that I follow. Shapes are formed using hundreds of very small pieces of fabric that are layered, then stitched in place on the sewing machine. The thread is important becauseit provides texture, shades, alters colors and draws details.
When you look at my fabric collage, I want you to feel as if you have been transported and that all your senses are absorbing the essence of the environment. I want your eyes to see things you never noticed before, and find beauty in objects you once thought were unworthy of notice.Dianne shullenberger
Dianne grew up in the mid-west in a household were clothes, curtains, and quilts were made rather than purchased. Her mother was a fashion designer and seamstress so there was always fabrics available for art projects. Her journey as an artist started with Sumi-e watercolor classes at the Evanston Art Center and then progressed to fiber after she took a Trapunto quilting class. She continued to experiment with textiles which quickly evolved into her current technique of layered fabric collage. She was educated at Purdue University and majored in art and physical education.
After living in the Chicago area for eleven years, her family moved to Vermont where she changed her career from teaching to creating art full time. Dianne’s love for the outdoors has always
influenced her art. She spends a portion of every day pursuing physical activity and her winters are spent creating fabric collage; summers are reserved for colored pencil drawings. Dianne has a
wonderful studio and gallery at her Vermont home and a tree house art studio on Lake Michigan.
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