BETH ANN ST. GEORGE

DANCING SPIRIT QUILTS

CONTEMPORARY FOLK ART

Cloth, Textiles, Fabric—bolt goods have attracted me for as long as I can remember--drawn to the promise and excitement of potential creations. I started sewing at an early age, encouraged by my Mother and Grandmother who were gifted in the arts of needlework. My passion for quilting began over thirty years ago when I was teaching a high school Home Economics clothing class in Albuquerque.  When my students didn’t have their supplies with them and still wanting the time to be productive, I prepared a simple quilt for them to work on. In doing so, I was able to teach them some of the principles of design, as well as a useful possible hobby! Several years ago, I bought a packet of 10” square cuts—a variety of African fabrics.  I put them together in a quilt which became titled, “Tribal,” and I was immediately hooked on  African textiles. From that first exercise in improvisational quilting, the vibrancy and scale of the fabrics seemed to feel right for me.

My love of quilting has taken me down many paths and through many of life’s passages. Along the way, I was introduced to the concept of Art-As- Meditation, in which the process of creating becomes the point of the work, rather than focusing on the finished product. This concept became the model for my work. Each of my pieces of quiltart begins with no pre-conceived design in mind; I let the fabrics and my moods determine how the work evolves.

My journey has been an extraordinary adventure creating one of a kind Art Quits, each one with a fascinating story to share. Art As Meditation, improvisational piecing, has been an amazing therapy to celebrate the joys of life and healing of the heart, sometimes expressing what words could not convey.  I wanted to share this experience with others and in doing so I have conducted many classes for quilters and non-quilters over the last six years.

I use a mixture of African and African-inspired fabrics. The focus of my work is not on perfection of pattern, but rather the ability and means to express a concept or feeling.  Although many of my quilts are hung on the wall, they are Quilts first, meaning they are able to be used, in the traditional sense, for warmth.  Hand quilting allows the energy transfer from me to the quilt and back to me…energy “stored” and available to provide comfort and healing.

I am a Professional Art Member of Studio Art Quilt Association, and continue to teach and offer trunk shows, encouraging the creation of “spirit” quilts.   I have a B.A. degree in Home Economics and an M.S. Degree in Textile Sciences.