Through Their Own Words
Another artist I inner-viewed for my zine, The iNNer Eye, was Sarah Ann Smith. I’ve been waiting to post about her until after I had finished reading her new book, Threadwork Unraveled.
I was itching to get to it but, in the end, wound up reading it on my daily bike ride (don’t worry..it’s a stationary bike, ha!). Reading it that way, taking it in — in little bits – was excellent because it gave me a chance to absorb ALL the information she packed into it.
And what a fantastic book this is!!!!! As stated on Amazon, “Sarah Ann Smith unravels the secrets behind how it’s made, how to select the right thread for the right job, and how to use it to enhance your piecing, appliqué, and quilting”.
The book is filled with her “Sarah-isms” throughout that makes it such a fun and informative read. Sarah explains things in such a concise and direct way that gave me many Aha! moments. I now have a much better understanding of how important thread is to my artwork and how to effectively use them to enhance my pieces.
If you haven’t already purchased this book I HIGHLY recommend you add it to your bookshelf (check Sarah’s website below).
I met Sarah virtually, online a couple years ago. A comment on her website/blog probably made me laugh and I responded. That’s who she is, a wonderfully quirky, fun, helpful and endearing person and author.
Sarah is also a very accomplished art quilter. Her work has been featured in regional, national and international shows and exhibits, in galleries and has been published in local and national magazines.
My favorite piece of hers, Fields of Gold, recently won a 2nd place award in the IQA Art Quilt Miniature category. That’s the biggie Houston show people! I sometimes roared with laughter when reading her answers to my questions. Smile along with me and…
Enjoy this insightful look into a wonderful fiber artist, Sarah Ann Smith…
Marshall Point Light
Inner Eye: What informs your artwork?
Sarah Ann Smith: Everything and anything! Ideas often appear fully (or nearly fully) formed in my head. Other times it is as if the view is foggy and as the fog lifts and burns off, the images reveal themselves inside my head until there is a clear picture of what wants to be let out and put into cloth.
IE: Why fabric/thread/paint as a means of expression?
SAS: I have sewn for almost as long as I can remember. In first grade, a neighbor-girl made me an apron for my Barbie doll. Why she did this (as she didn’t know me well), I don’t know but I still remember how amazed I was that she MADE the apron herself, AND that she gave it to me! I loved it! Obviously, the fiber bug was in that apron and there is no antidote. Thank heavens!
Naiads
IE: Who continually inspires you?
SAS: My friend Kathy, whose textile art amazes me; my kids and hubby; my friend Marie, who explores EVERYTHING; my mini-group, the Frayed Edges–I am blessed that we found each other; Mother Nature.
IE: What, if anything, precedes the full blow idea for a piece of art?
SAS: There is almost always a picture inside my head clamoring to be released into cloth–usually there are bunches of them jostling to be first out! and not nearly enough time to make even a fraction of them. It’s as if I need to try out the ideas inside my mind first to see if they are worth making, because I don’t have time to spend on something that’s gonna flop for sure!
Buoys #1
IE: What matters most to you about the work that you do?
SAS: All of it! And that it gets made…. I want the piece to work visually/creatively. I want the workmanship to be flawless. It’s nice when the image resonates with others, but some pieces are just personal and need to be made no matter what.
IE: What do you ask of yourself in terms of your art in the next 5 yrs?
SAS: Oh my gosh… that is SO precise and forward-looking and planned and demanding. I don’t think I work that way… the pressure of failing to make a specific goal (or several) would just do me in! All I want to do is keep making quilts and art and writing. And I have to do it within the context of caring for my family, and maybe, just maybe be lucky enough to win a second ribbon in Houston.
Fields of Gold
IE: If you could not pursue your art, what other way would you spend your time?
SAS: If I couldn’t make art, I think I’d be comatose or dead! I’d go stark raving mad if I couldn’t create! Even if I were somehow incapacitated and couldn’t sew, I’d find some other way to make art…Think Frida Kahlo flat on her back, rigging up an easel above her bed so she could paint while flat on her back in a brace. Where there is a will, there is a way!
Sarah Ann Smith
Website: http://www.sarahannsmith.com
Blog: http://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog/
To read Inner-views of other artists click here and here.
To purchase a copy of my zine “The iNNer Eye” please check my Esty store.
I’ve been acquainted with Sarah (mostly through emails) since before she moved to Maine and we have actually managed to meet (all too briefly!) three times since she made that move.
I am continually amazed at her increasingly creative quilts and progress as a teacher.
You may consider me head of her cheerleading section!
Thank you Grace for inviting me to be a part of Inner Zine, thanks for asking such wonderful questions (I WISH I had the gift/skill! I’ll have to watch and learn from you more than I have already!), thanks for not putting on your blog that “S***” word that I answered……
and HUGE and MANY thanks for the glowing review of Threadwork Unraveled. I always feel like I want to give my students a brain transplant–just take what is in my head and plant it in theirs. The book is the closest I think I can come to that!
I love “meeting” people like you and Jacquie on the ‘net, and in person (still gonna get me to North Carolina one way or another!)… have I said recently how much I love the internet?
Thanks again, and looking forward to the other interview/inner views! Hugs and cheers, Sarah
I love Sarah, her work, and her book! Thanks for giving us more insight into her process and her personality.
[...] a call to you….if you can think of a fiber or mixed media artist you’d like me to inner-view, by all means, drop me a line and let me know. It’s so much fun getting to know a little more [...]