Hi, I’m Deborah Ann and being an artist has been my air ever since I can remember. As a child I did artwork in my bedroom before I got a floor loom and was allowed to take over a part of the basement.
In the early 1960’s I found weaving, then macrame and crocheting and finally fabric art in the early 70’s and I’ve followed that path ever since. I love to push the fabric medium to see how far from quilts and close to painting I can get without actually using paint.
For more information about my Fabric Art, Email me!
This is my studio, built in 1997, with the addition (to the right) that I added in 2015 for my sculptural work.
Since I retired from outside work in 2010 I’ve decided to explore using mixed materials to create 3-dimensional work. I use air dried clay, stiffened fabrics, paper and drawers full of “stuff” that now are being used.
I’ve become involved in community art projects that have been quite rewarding. I work with a friend in Wapato who is trying to replace tagging with art around her neighborhood. We have worked with various groups to paint out or have an artistic conversation with the taggers. Another project is to hang fabric art in public housing projects around the valley. See my Community Projects Public Work page for more information.
In the following pages you will see fabric artwork created with many of the fabrics that I dye myself as well as material, thread and trim from my large stash. Mixed with these will be my sculptural pieces usually based on paper mache’ clay and Sculpey clay forms embellished with anything that I find that seems to work. Many of these pieces evolve as I make them so what I think I am making isn’t always where I wind up. It’s important to be open to the ideas that are presented rather than the assumption you start with.
Meet my new companion
In March 2016 my cat “PC” died at 19 years of age. I decided not to try to find a new cat but to wait until the right cat came to me. Finally on July 17th, 2016 that cat arrived.
It was a very serendipitous even that got us together…. It started with another loss, that of my little sister Mimi who died quite quickly of cancer on July 5th. I’d gone to St. Louis to see her during her last days and stayed at her house (she was in hospice) to care for her cats. It was too difficult for her cat Cleo to make the long trip to Yakima so I had to leave her behind…. Fast forward to July 17th which was the day of Mimi’s Memorial Service and her 64th Birthday. I say all of this to explain the importance of this cat.
At the time that the service started I opened my email that said “I have a really nice cat who needs to be an only cat. Do you want a cat? What else could I do? I had to go see this cat that was a gift from Mimi to me. It was love. I named her Mimsie after Mimi and packed her into a carrier, stopped at the pet store for provisions and we were home by the time they were starting her birthday party. We read my nephews eulogy, ate cake and sang to Mimi.
Since then Mimsie got her native name “bird chirper” as that is her voice. She loves my art and sleeps curled up in “auntie isn’t all there anymore”. This was a very healing meeting which I hope will last for many years.
Sadly on September 12, 2023 Mimsie got too adventuresome and ran across the road to the hay field. She was struck and killed by a vehicle. I will miss you dearly for a very long time. We had a very special relationship.
2019 was an interesting year to say the least. I had been struggling with non-diabetic neuropathy and it’s infections in my left foot for 3 years. 6 partial amputations later, it simply wouldn’t heal anymore so in March they amputated my leg below the knee. I was stuck in a wheelchair for a couple of months and couldn’t get out to the studio. Friends brought an assortment of materials in to my house and I worked by hand on a couple of small pieces. Art keeps me sane. One of my first goals when I got my prosthetic leg was to learn to navigate the few steps and short walk to the studio. Wow it was fantastic to get back into that space. I now can walk well and have resumed my regular art practice. Life changes but it doesn’t need to change me.
