Addison Paige - About the Artist

About the Artist

Background

I was born in Berkely, CA and raised in Gainesville, FL. My BFA is from UT-Austin and my MFA is from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. I currently live in Holly Springs, NC.

Small Scale Framed Art Quilts

How It's Done

My materials are commercial and hand-dyed cotton fabrics, including batiks from Indonesia. First, specifically chosen pieces of fabric are stitched together to create the background. I layer this background over a larger cotton batting and a backing fabric to make a quilt sandwich which is then machine quilted together. Next, I cut shapes from many different fabrics and create my composition. These small elements are appliqued to the quilted background. To finish the piece, I add hand-stitched lines of cotton embroidery floss, machine stitched lines and other embellishments. Each art quilt is framed using rag mats. All pieces are numbered and recorded in sequence of completion.

Why I Do It

I made my first wall quilt on July 4, 1998. I had long been drawn to the sensual aspects of fabric. I knew then that I had found a medium that energized me, as well as a way to use all the fabrics I had been collecting over the years. Over the next six years I created a few wall quilts each year. All of these were original compositions created as I worked on each one. In 2004 I decided I wanted to create intimate, small-scale, framed art quilts.

I work improvisationally, which means I don't work from patterns or sketches. I create each piece while I am assembling it. This enables me to fully enjoy the process of creation. I let the fabrics I work with influence and inspire me while I am working. My work is full of my past influences, personal history and emotional interactions.

I share a home studio with my brother, Eric. Since 1995 we have worked together to make eccentric painted lucite clocks for our company, "what would the neighbors think?".

I hope you enjoy my new voice.