GALLERY

My Perspective

I am an American textile artist born in Connecticut. I grew up with quilts, all from scraps, made by my grandmother and aunt. Inspired by Amish quilts, I learned the art of re-purposing cloth doing all stitching by hand.

In the early 1970s I studied Fine Art Photography with Tom Hricho in New Haven. I learned to “see” the world around me in a deeper, more meaningful way. The dark room opened my awareness of shading, light and contrast. Also to patience. At that time I was inspired by the works of Ansel Adams, Gertrude Kasebier, Margaret Bourke-White, Diane Arbus, Gertrude Stein, Virginia Wolf, and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr..

It was only natural that I began finding ways to transfer photographs to cloth. Soon I was experimenting with other nontraditional techniques, including fabric painting, natural dying, fusing, as well as collage with found objects such as shells, stones, and sticks.

I have always been interested in understanding human experiences and the meanings people give to their experiences. As a Nurse Practitioner specializing in mental health, I came to know the power of emotional pain and devoted my career to helping. Emotions and their consequences create story, and among my favorites are the Greek myths. I created a series of framed quilts about Demeter and Persephone which have been shown and presented in several settings.

Exploring spirituality led me to Buddhist philosophy. I have learned the benefits of a regular practice of yoga, meditation and spiritual retreats. I am grateful for the teachings of Pema Chodron and Rebecca Doring. I recently created a series of framed quilts expressing my personal relationship to the chakras.

Being in the woodlands is deeply spiritual for me. I often walk alone while noticing the peace and quiet, the colors and shapes and the good advice I receive. My life-long concern for the environment has made me a climate activist. I studied ornithology and mycology at Southern Connecticut State College and worked for the United States Forest Service on research related to the gypsy moth invasion of the 1970’s. I am grateful to Noble Proctor, Rachel Carson and Jane Goodall as important teachers.

Human experiences, spirituality, and the natural world are the core of my work. I am inspired by artists such as Bisa Butler, Louise Nevelson, and Jane Dunnewold.

Currently I am exploring the relationship between materials we value and those we discard. I am bothered by the glut of “fast clothes”, the massive number of chemicals we create, and the blatant disregard for the climate crisis. Greta Thunberg is a Hero in every sense of the word.

My approach to creating art is to use materials that I already have or that I rescue from thrift stores or friends trash cans. When I actually purchase something for a piece, it is only after careful thought

Now that I am retired from my beloved profession as a Nurse Practitioner, I find immense joy in creating art that I intend to be beautiful, meaningful and inspirational.

Catherine Lavoie