Lisa Thorpe

As an artist, I am an explorer and observer first. I like to wander & wonder, let things percolate while I ponder. I have numerous sketchbooks full of chicken scratch drawings & cryptic thoughts. Over time (often during a long hot shower) an idea will keep rising to the surface, I might even push that thought bubble below the surface, telling it I don't have time for you, but the best ideas won't pop and so I move from thought to action. I like to problem solve and play with an idea until it manifests into visual form. I love the mess of dyeing, printing, and marking my own fabric to create my quilts. I am drawn to the use of fabric and stitch as a reference to the tradition of stitching as a feminine art that clothes and covers and comforts. My visual work is idea and story-driven and often connected to words and writing. My art is both personal & universal. Driven to pique and poke, my work invites discussion and discovery and as an educator, I love to share what I've learned with others.