Crossroads & Intersections

Techniques and materials: Pieced, quilted, and appliquéd African print batik and woven cotton; 210 French knots.

Artwork statement: I enjoy mixing vivid colors and bold patterns, often those that derive from world cultures with long textile traditions. African batik prints are no exception, even if many of them are imported from elsewhere. Although these prints are often large in scale, seeing how smaller fragments of those patterns play with (or against) each other can sometimes lead to delightful, if unexpected, results. In addition to the batik prints, Crossroads and Intersections features segments of woven cotton that are reminiscent of mud cloth. I like the way the simple geometric patterns and muted colors of the mud cloth play with the colors and patterns in the pieced batik prints. I found the mud cloth in a charity shop. The segments had originally been basted together to make a table covering. They were already coming apart so I didn’t hesitate to separate them so they could be featured in other applications like Crossroads & Intersections.

Crossroads & Intersections was awarded 2nd place in Mixed Media at the 17th Annual Juried Art Exhibit, Terre Haute IN, August 2025

Purchase inquiries welcome!