ELIZABETH GARLINGTON

ARTIST. DESIGNER. QUILTER.

Quilting has been my art form for the last twenty-six years.

Like a quilt, my story as a fiber artist is composed of three layers. The first layer tells my tale of being born with crayons in my cradle and becoming a visual artist at a noticeably young age. The second story layer rests in my world of books, reading, and music where I find solace in written narratives, oral histories, and song lyrics. The third layer is composed of my embracing art in all of its forms—from collections of southern folk art, vintage finds from antique stores, and finger paintings by three-year-olds.

I live and work in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Since 2008, I have been a juried member of the prestigious Southern Highland Craft Guild and my work is available through their galleries. For more detailed information please see my Vitae.

INSPIRATION

I quilt the gritty and gentle stories of our lives.

I have always treasured the visionary art of Howard Finster, the face jugs of Lanier Meaders, the color field paintings by Mark Rothko, the Flying Geese quilts of the Underground Railroad, and the Bible quilts of Harriett Powers. Faith Ringgold’s story quilts taught me how to quilt a narrative. The quilters of Gee's Bend and their quilts tell a very long story - work clothes that were torn in the Alabama cotton fields became fabrics that composed a quilt exhibited in a high cotton museum in New York City.

I will always wonder where artists come up with the ideas for their work, the story and struggles behind the work, and what story the work of art is trying to tell. My three-layered narrative has led me down a very intentional path and into the storytelling world of fabric collage and art quilts. Composed of two layers of fabric and one layer of cotton batting, my narrative art quilts tell both the gritty and gentle stories of our lives. We are all touched by fabric when we are born and are shrouded by cloth when we die. Each one of us has a storied history with fabric.

PROCESS

My art quilts embrace the sensitive balance between fine craftmanship and visual impact.

I design quilts via the measured process of intuitive improvisation and careful planning. As I explore textiles through the lens of collage, my art quilts and fabric collages begin with a base layer of quilted fabrics. Subsequent layers of jewel-toned fabrics and vibrant images author the story—narrating the message in my quilts. Machine piecing, appliqué, and hand embroidery are used to create texture on my quilted canvases and my many-colored threads write the story.

Learning how to hand-piece many types of fabrics—from Dupioni silk to vintage feed sacks to African mud cloth—is a testament to my curious, creative nature. I willingly embrace the gestural energy of free motion quilting, the intentional curve of a sewn line, and the slow rhythm of hand stitch.

For more insight on my work listen to my interview with Fain House Radio on my Press Page.