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Burning Bush
SAQA Michigan Artist Profile Carol Tamasiunas
White Lake, Michigan
How long have you been sewing and when did you begin making art quilts? I have been sewing since I was a teenager. I started by making clothes for myself. I made my first quilt when I was in my 30’s. It was squares sewn together with an army blanket as the batting. I remember my step-daughter & I sitting in bed with the quilt laid out before us while we hand tied it. I didn’t make my first art quilt until 20 years later. I found it totally nerve wracking to work without a pattern at first. Describe your art and its inspiration. My work is pretty representational. I started out doing appliqué, but transitioned into painting most pieces. I like the freedom of creating my own “fabric”. I’m inspired mostly by what I see. One of my favorite pieces “Crocotile” was inspired by a mosaic done by a child. I’m currently doing work for an exhibit called “Inspired by the Masters”. By studying those artists I come up with ideas to incorporate into my work though we work in entirely different media. My van Gogh (see picture below) was a painted portrait of my mom to which I added hand stitching to imply van Gogh’s heavy paint strokes. I’m also inspired by my friends. They all do beautiful handwork which adds so much texture to their work. My latest pieces both had a lot of hand stitching which took me longer than the painting. Where do you do most of your artwork? My quilting/piecing is done in my “office”. My painting is done in the family room where I have a space with a table and cabinet. My husband trusts I won’t make too much of a mess since I have to tote all my water/paint pans up and down the stairs. What are your goals? To learn to add more depth and texture to my work, continue to explore other art avenues to open my eyes and add other techniques to my skill set. Do you teach, lecture, curate or have a business of your artwork? I don't teach or lecture but I do curate the Inspired by the Master's exhibit, which is shown at different venues in Michigan. Where can your work be seen? My work is traveling in several exhibits. Inspired by the Masters, has five of my pieces. I've also participated in the Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational for the past eight years. What are your interests outside of art? I’m a book lover who is currently work part-time at Borders. Spending time with my family & friends is a priority especially if it involves dessert. I enjoy my garden, museums, and attending concerts.
"Mom Van Gogh'd"
