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Color, painted and dyed textile, hand cut shapes and stitches meet to form my vibrant fiber compositions. The inspiration for a piece can be an abstracted memory of a particular time and place, beautiful architecture and my consistent joy of observing and being in the natural environment. I hike, garden and camp in these ancient Blue Ridge Mountains.
I enjoy the tactile qualities of cloth. I work intuitively like jazz musicians. I improvise, always searching for a sense of movement, harmony and balance. Drawing with scissors, I cut fabric shapes and apply them to a layered surface until they are in harmony. Moving with the rhythm of my needle, stitches and images appear, giving a new voice to each piece. Machine and hand embroidery, paint, beads and other found elements add texture and depth. I work until each piece feels complete.
I feel fortunate to live in a botanical wonderland. A wealth of native plants flourish in these primeval Blue Ridge Mountains. My studio is flooded with wonderful light. From my window, my ribbon flower gardens and the mountain ridges seem to dance together in ancient rhythms. It is through my connections with the landscape and organic materials that I experience the miracles of life.
As the creator of the Earth Quilt Project, I am commissioned by school systems, hospitals and group homes to work with the community in order to create a living garden. My work is in private and public collections, has been regionally and nationally recognized appearing in many publications including, Southern Living, Art Quilt Magazine, and on Simply Quilts, HGTV. From 1990-1992 I was given the honor of being an Artist-In-Residence, at Pamlico Community College serving on the State of North Carolina Visiting Artist Program.
Please visit my web-site, Normabradley.com.