Artist Inspired

Virginia • North Carolina Regional Showcase FALL 2025

Virginia • North Carolina Regional Showcase

FALL 2025

Exhibition Theme Artists inspire. Their creations move us and inspire our self-expression. Rather than copy what other artists have done, we can use elements of their style, lean into our response to their works, and reinterpret their subject matter in ways that hold meaning for us individually and collectively.

We asked our regional members to consider an artist (in any medium) whose work inspires them and to reflect on how that inspiration shows up in their work. We hope you enjoy their responses as presented in our Regional Showcase: Artist Inspired.

Sharon Carrier Artist Inspired Exhibition Curator

Ellen Lindner She Has a Great Personality 2020 36”h x 24”w

Artist’s Statement This self-portrait was done in the style of abstract painter Jane Davies. Although saying that someone has a great personality is usually an insult about their appearance, I take it as a compliment. I’m outgoing and really enjoy interacting with others. I’ll take the label!

Arlene L Blackburn Natasha's Pastel Box 2025 52.5”h x 31.5”w

Artist’s Statement These are the pastels of the award-winning painter and pastel artist, Natasha Isenhour. I photographed this magical box (with her permission) as she set up to work in a Ghost Ranch casita in the New Mexican desert. Mesmerized by the intense spectrum of color contained in this large wooden box...all I thought was "Quilt" to capture the 3-D effect of the individual pastel pieces.

Jenny Perry Thread Painting En Plein Air 2017 46”h x 39.5”w

Artist’s Statement I photographed an artist who was thread painting en plein air along a city street in Oaxaca, Mexico.

He was using assorted threads at his feet to recreate the scene in his line of sight down the street. He stitched by hand onto a large piece of fabric stretched onto stretcher bars. My photos became the inspiration for this whole cloth piece.

Robin J Hamill A Place to Rest 2023 17.5”h x 27”w

Artist’s Statement A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to hike at Ghost Ranch. My friend and I then had a picnic, joking that we were lunching with Georgia. A photo of the door and bench, both with peeling paint, by Rev. Peter Frazier-Koontz inspired me. I imagined O’Keeffe walking the trails near her home, then returning to her home to relax in the sun. Then I realized that I had the perfect ombre fabric for the adobe designed by Jennifer Sampou. I couldn’t deny the invitation. And how could I not add Georgia’s iconic hat and walking stick?

Debbie Gebbie Rebellious Hope 2025 20”h x 20”w

Artist’s Statement There are too many artists who inspire my work to mention only one. But first and foremost, my art is inspired by nature, which speaks hope and joy to me from the Divine Creator.

Paula C Dean Silence and Nothing Else 2025 26”h x 43”w

Artist’s Statement This piece is an act of stopping. Truly existing inside a moment. Inspired by “Nothing Else Matters” (Metallica) and “The Sound of Silence” (David Draiman), it invites you to pause, listen, and let the stillness etch itself into memory.

Annegret Fauser Stele #3 2025 42”h x 6”w

Artist’s Statement When nature and music both serve as inspiration, they merge in often unexpected ways. In recent months, I have been re-listening to Igor Stravinsky’s neoclassical compositions, such as his Octet for wind instruments from 1923, with its sharply delineated sound blocks and muted color palette. Stele #3 takes inspiration both from the colors of the Albemarle Sound (NC) and from Stravinsky’s sparse but elegantly honed soundscapes. My narrow oblong form is also neoclassical, forcing the eye in a different direction just as Stravinsky does the ear.

Judy Pearson Hope 2023 50.5”h x 30.5”w

Artist’s Statement Emily Dickinson's poem “ ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers" inspired this quilt. The lyrical play of light and dark in Dickinson's poem is reflected in these Japanese Yukata fabrics.

In the storm of COVID, we reached for solace in poetry, art and nature. Creativity lifted our spirits and gave us hope.

Christie King Eckardt Accretions 2024 40.75”h x 31”w

Artist’s Statement The nautilus shell symbolizes growth and resilience through gradual accretions—layers built slowly over time, each marking a step in an inner journey. Inspired by Debra Spence’s intimate, close-focus style and her reverence for nature, I zoomed in on the shell’s spiraling chambers—each a quiet record of this layered process. Her use of rich, dusty hues inspired my palette of pinks, oranges, and blues, reflecting both emotional warmth and the hidden drama of the natural world. This quilt is a meditation on how our personal journeys and quiet strength unfold in small, layered increments.

Karin Tauber The Biggest House in the World 2020 47.25”h x 36.25”w

Artist’s Statement A little orange snail, unhappy about her tiny house, soon finds a way to enlarge, adorn, and color it.

Admired by many she discovers too late that her big house prevents her move to the next cabbage plant.

Sadly, she fades away and soon her majestic house crumbles. Many years later a wise snail tells the story to a small, purple snail to convince her that a compact, easy-to-carry shell might be better suited than the biggest house in the world for a life of adventure and exploration. Inspired by Leo Lionni’s children’s book.

Emma Allen Griselda’s Choice 2024 50”h x 44”w

Artist’s Statement The king paid handsomely for that whole-castle invisibility spell, but Griselda’s dragon eyes saw right through it. Now she must decide: plunder and incinerate, or protect and exploit?

Inspired by Gustav Klimt’s gold leaf paintings circa 1901 to 1909.

Joan Rutledge Still Waters 2024 30”h x 24”w

Artist’s Statement

I have always been drawn to the Impressionist movement and specifically the work of Claude Monet.

I find the use of color mixing in the eye and the attention to light inspiring. I enjoy art that both reveals and hides the subject matter, so a viewer can add the rest. Still Waters began as I was covering up a previous painting with gesso. The painting revealed itself as I worked. I saw the trees and became interested in the bark with its texture and soon the water emerged and the light shining through the trees created the pathway. When complete I decided to print it on fabric and enhance the textures with quilting. I find a completed piece often influences a piece in another medium. .

Sarah Bolduc Lily Pond 2025 21.25”h x 31.14”w

Artist’s Statement Monet's paintings of water lilies were the inspiration for this piece.

Incorporated in this work is the depiction of Monet's multiple overlays of color and fine brush strokes as well as a harmonious color palette.

Kathleen P Decker Iris Garden 2023 23.5”h x 29.5”w

Artist’s Statement Spring brings prolific blooms of irises. Irises symbolize faith, courage, valor, hope and wisdom.

This work was created from a photo of irises in a garden and altered in Photoshop to create an Impressionist work, similar to Van Gogh’s early style. Van Gogh used irises in painting as studies in color and form, and they also represented spring, renewal and the passage of time to him.

Gwen E Goepel ZipADeeDooDah 2015 37.25”h x 23.75”w

Artist’s Statement Vincent van Gogh’s work has inspired much of my art. His vivid personal style and striking colors have been apparent in my art quilts, drawings, paintings, floral arrangements, and home decor. ZipADeeDooDah’s sunflowers simply shower me with happiness. I choose to create art that is uplifting, bright, cheerful, and playful versus the too often reality of the world’s lack of enlightenment.

Rachael Logsdon Flowers for Ukraine 2024 32”h x 24”w

Artist’s Statement I created this quilt as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night and Sunflowers. I wanted to recreate his bold style using fabric, while asking questions about the war in Ukraine. Are we, as a country, doing enough? Or are we just sending sentiments? The "starry night" turned out to look more like bombs raining down, while the girl clutches a bouquet of sunflowers and weeps.

Mary A Ritter Portrait of a Farmer 2022 27”h x 24”w

Artist’s Statement In Van Gogh’s Portrait of a Peasant, the weathered peasant—depicted in vibrant stripes of blue, green, red, and yellow—gazes intently. Van Gogh explained, ". . . I use color more arbitrarily, in order to express myself with force.”

My father, the pictorial model for this Portrait of a Farmer, labored as a farmer for long days. He was darkly tanned, rugged looking and a fitting subject for this project.

Margaret James The Garden of the Waxhaws 2024 / 24”h x 30”w

Artist’s Statement The Garden of the Waxhaws was inspired by the work of Dorothea Lange and other FSA photographers who documented people living through the Depression. Beauty can be found even in the bleakest circumstance. Humble homesteads flourished amid necessity and traditions that inspired strength and creativity.

Aynex Mercado What are we losing?

2025 37”h x 35”w

Artist’s Statement

The world is changing, but I can’t help wondering—are we moving forward or slipping backward?

Lately, there’s so much pushback against diversity and inclusion, even though that’s what makes this country unique. The idea has always been that no matter where you come from, if you work hard, you can belong here. Inclusion isn’t about giving anyone special treatment—it’s about fairness. It’s about leveling the playing field, not tipping it. Lincoln’s greatest concern was keeping the country united, but today we seem more divided than ever. With all this fighting, what are we really gaining? And more importantly—what are we losing? It’s interesting that the only coin of color is the penny. Hmm...

Eva Saunders The American Scream 2025 41”h x 33”w

Artist’s Statement As a German immigrant, I was shaped by my grandparents' stories of the 3rd Reich. I promised them never to let those atrocities happen again. With democracy unraveling, fear and urgency grows. Inspired

by Edvard Munch's 1895 lithograph The Scream, this quilt is a look in the mirror and a cry for awareness.

Janice Walker Van Gogh Picassoed 2019 27.25”h x 27.25”w

Artist’s Statement Piecing together small pieces of fabric to make a larger design is as basic to quilting as the reduction and fragmentation of natural forms into abstract, geometric shapes is to Cubism. Since Picasso’s early work was heavily influenced by Van Gogh, it seemed natural to use Picasso’s style to interpret Van Gogh’s Red Poppies and Daisies as an art quilt.

Darlene Khosrowpour Every Thorn Has Its Rose 2024 20”h x 20”w

Artist’s Statement Every rose has its thorns, but the opposite is true as well.

Pain centers us. Pain grounds us.

Pain helps us to find beauty.

We spend our lives toiling in order to create beauty and comfort.

Every thorn has its rose.

There's a future in our darkest hours.

The inspiration for the quilting was Cubism, but the inspiration for the piece could be considered Surrealism. The song “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” played a role in the title, and music is a definite influence in creating most of my pieces.

Paula B Entin Homage to Matisse 2002 25”h x 21”w

Artist’s Statement Matisse described his paper cuts as the essence of the object, and he worked to distill a leaf or bird down to the very basics. I encountered these works late in my life and fell in love with them. My homage is in fiber, but is nonetheless a celebration of his paper art.

Sharon Carrier Green Apples 2024 38”h x 27”w

Artist’s Statement With its limited palette of greens, blues, and reds, this still life features a bowl of apples on a four-legged stool. The influence of three pioneers of modern art—Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, and Georgia O’Keeffe—can be seen in the flattened perspective, simplification and abstraction of forms, and emphasis on color and composition.

Jane Herlihy Ball Pit 2024 35”h x 27”w

Artist’s Statement Always inspired by solid chunks of bold color, I find Wassily Kandinsky's work to be very joyful and uplifting. His paintings with circles remind me of playing with children in a ball pit.

Cindy Grisdela Taste of Summer 2021 50”h x 40”w

Artist’s Statement Taste of Summer was inspired by the painting Senecio by Paul Klee. I used a similar color palette and the idea of curved shapes to create an original design that referenced the painting without trying to represent it in any way. The curves were cut freehand without a pattern or template and I allowed the colors to "break the block" to define new shapes. Vertical stitching lines integrate the design into a cohesive whole.

Fran Bents Tribute to Lichtenstein 2013 36”h x 52”w

Artist’s Statement Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) was an American artist who produced over 160 paintings, drawings, sculptures, and collages. His work ranged from classical styles to Pop Art, romance, and war topics.

During one period, his paintings were composed of strong graphic designs and primary colors created mainly using dots. This quilt reflects that style using only dotted and boldly colored ombre fabrics. I gravitate toward geometric designs and found a kindred spirit in his work.

Michelle Wilkie Study no. 3 2022 82”h x 58”w

Artist’s Statement An exploration in color and placement, Study no. 3 allows the viewer to move around the quilt. The play with large scraps in a color block style was inspired by works of Stanley Whitney.

Susan Price Rhythm and Blues 2024 21”h x 22”w

Artist’s Statement Rhythm and Blues as a musical genre features a strong back beat and smooth, steady rhythm.

Aretha Franklin’s “You Send Me” is light and bubbly with a syncopated rhythm. “Chain of Fools” has a toe-tapping bass beat. “Bye, Bye Love” by Ray Charles is upbeat and bubbly. Repetition of elements in visual art creates its own rhythm that echoes the staccato and legato rhythms of music.

Repetition is an element of design that I use frequently in my work. This piece combines the rhythm of repetition with indigo blues to represent my interpretation of the Rhythm and Blues genre.

Leah Cooke Billie (A Moment Lost in Sound) 2024 20”h x 20”w

Artist’s Statement A woman sings the Blues. Her face is etched with passion. Her soulful voice echoes through the fabric, pulling you into her world. Abstract patterns ripple outward, representing the music that surrounds her, the music that is a part of her. This quilt is a tribute to the iconic Billie Holiday and the timeless power of the Blues.

Carly Mul Rhythm 2025 53”h x 42”w

Artist’s Statement This quilt is my response to the intensity of the Presidential Election of November 2024. I was wondering how to put all that massive campaign noise we all heard everywhere in a quilt. This is my third quilt inspired by the work of the sculptor Yaacov Agam.

Kevin Womack Group Dynamics 2019 42”h x 53”w

Artist’s Statement Group Dynamics draws inspiration from Ellsworth Kelly’s technique of cutting a page of brushstrokes into squares and rearranging them by chance, reimagined here with my own surface-designed and printed fabrics. Each fabric began as an individual exploration of color, pattern, and mark. Unlike Kelly’s chance method, the placement in this work was carefully considered—a deliberate process of arranging and rearranging, to create visual balance, dynamic interactions, and a sense of cohesion.

The resulting grid transforms these diverse elements into a stronger, harmonious whole, reflecting how distinct voices within a group can intermingle, find common ground, and create a vibrant community.

Participating Artists Emma Allen - Griselda’s Choice Fran Bents - Tribute to Lichtenstein Arlene L Blackburn - Natasha's Pastel Box http://www.ArleneBlackburn.com Sarah Bolduc - Lily Pond www.sarahbolducdesign.com Sharon Carrier - Green Apples http://www.instagram.com/sharoncarrier.art Leah Cooke - Billie (A Moment Lost in Sound) http://www.instagram.com/artbyleahcooke

Paula C Dean - Silence and Nothing Else https://www.studioonthebluff.com/ Kathleen P Decker - Iris Garden www.KathleenDeckerAuthor.com Christie King Eckardt - Accretions http://www.instagram.com/nomadicquilter Paula B Entin - Homage to Matisse www.fibersong.com Annegret Fauser - Stele #3 https://www.afauser.com

Participating Artists (continued) Debbie Gebbie - Rebellious Hope http://www.instagram.com/debbiegebbieart

Darlene Khosrowpour - Every Thorn Has Its Rose http://www.instagram.com/stitcherninja

Gwen E Goepel - ZipADeeDooDah http://www.instagram.com/gesgmia

Ellen Lindner - She Has a Great Personality http://www.adventurequilter.com

Cindy Grisdela - Taste of Summer www.cindygrisdela.com

Rachael Logsdon - Flowers for Ukraine http://www.dragonflyquiltdesign.net

Robin J Hamill - A Place to Rest FB Robin Hamill-Ruth

Aynex Mercado - What are we losing? https://aynexquilts.com

Jane Herlihy - Ball Pit

Carly Mul - Rhythm www.carlymul.com

Margaret James - The Garden of the Waxhaws FiberandFamilyStudio.com

Judy Pearson - Hope

Participating Artists (continued) Jenny Perry - Thread Painting En Plein Air https://jennyperry.net/

Janice Walker - Van Gogh Picassoed

Susan Price - Rhythm and Blues

Michelle Wilkie - Study no. 3 https://www.instagram.com/ml_wilkie/

Mary A Ritter - Portrait of a Farmer http://www.maryritter.com

Kevin Womack - Group Dynamics www.KevinWomackArt.com

Joan Rutledge - Still Waters https://www.artfolios.shop/joan-rutledge Eva Saunders - The American Scream http://www.instagram.com/GingerlyQuiltCo Karin Tauber - The Biggest House in the World www.KarinTauber.com

Virginia • North Carolina Regional Showcase FALL 2025