In an earlier life (i.e. at university) I studied English language and literature as my first subject and folkloristics as my second subject. This was a perfect combination, as I've always loved fairytales, folklore and myths, and there's plenty of that in the Anglo-Celtic culture. I was particularly intrigued by stories where humans and supernatural beings meet and interact. Therefore, some of my favourite artists are illustrators of fairytales, myth and fantasy: John Bauer (a Swedish illustrator - no one can paint an ethereal princess or an earthy troll like him), Arthur Rackham, J.W. Waterhouse, John Howe (has illustrated Lord of the Rings) and Brian Froud (a more humorous style). I'm also intrigued by Celtic and Viking art (such as knotwork) and ancient art forms like rock carvings. I'm always bursting with happiness when I can go and have a look at some ancient stone circle somewhere. I also love Art Nouveau and Alphonse Mucha in particular (the flowing lines and floral motifs). My favourite architects are Charles R. Mackintosh and Antoni Gaudi. I started by saying "in an earlier life", because for a number of years there hasn't been much art and magic in my life, only work, work and work. However, now I've come to a point where I've realized that if I want to keep my sanity it's time I returned to my old passions, and I want to sew them into art quilts!

I was spoiled. I grew up near Seattle and visited galleries and museums frequently. Now I am in a rural area, but there are still opportunities if you look hard. I have find I like a variety of artists that are all different. My first love is Beatrix Potter and Tasha Tudor for their ability to capture animal's personalities. Then Georgia O'Keefe, Van Gogh, Charley Harper, Frank Stella, etc. I wanted to be Nancy Crow, Jinny Beyer, Katie Pasquini, when I grew up. What I find is that I love learning new techniques and ways of seeing. I have called myself a dilettante, but I think I just haven't found my voice. I keep challenging myself by reading about techniques that are not fiber related or by taking classes that are totally out of my comfort zone (like your up coming Joggles class!) With the internet it is hard not to learn and see. Hope you have a great weekend.

My interest in arts started in my teen years while traveling to Rome, Florence and Vienna. Visiting the Tate Gallery in London opened my eyes to 20th century art and some of my favorite artists are Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Hans Hoffmann, but I also like Goya, Edouard Vuillard or Giorgio Morandi. Understanding today's artists is often more difficult for me, but I try to study them. The last exhibition I visited a short while ago was in my hometown Luxembourg on dutch paintings from the 17th century http://www.villavauban.lu/. I am looking forward to visiting the new Centre Pompidou in Metz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGV5d_YZo9Y where lots of the biggest masterpieces can be seen now. I have been a crafter all my life and through patchwork I was inspired to try to do something more personal myself. Unfortunately I am not artistically trained but I love to learn new things like drawing, journaling ...My favourite subject at school was biology and I find the world as seen under the microscope quite fascinating and inspiring.