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Artist: Kathleen Olson Grumich
Artists » Kathleen Olson Grumich
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Craft Medium:
Fiber, Mixed Media
Artist's Statement: Since my mother taught me to sew at a young age, I have had a passion for working with beautiful fabrics. I have lived in New Orleans for more than a quarter century, although I had to leave it for a short time to fully appreciate its year-round floral beauty. Semi-tropical flowers and fauna inspire most of my designs. The major focus of my work is hand-painted scarves, shawls and hand-painted, artist-sewn purses. My desire is to produce a beautiful, unique and affordable piece of wearable art which will compliment and enhance my customer’s wardrobe.
My first step is to draw my design on a paper pattern, many of which are from my photographs of natural subjects. White silk is my blank canvas. After transferring the design to the silk and stretching it on a frame, I paint the entire piece of silk, using the serti technique, wherein resist is applied to create an enclosed space in which the dye is allowed to flow. In order to achieve the shading giving depth to a motif, I use the watercolor technique, blending colors within the area while the section is still wet. I use fiber-reactive dyes, which must be mixed fresh each time and used within a set number of hours.
I am a juried member of the Louisiana Craft Guild. I am also a former juried member of the Louisville Artisans Guild and the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi. My work has won ALPHA awards from the Fashion Group International of New Orleans, and awards at the Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs, Mississippi and the Jubilee Festival of Daphne, Alabama. I have participated in juried fine craft shows in the Gulf Coast region, local juried Art Markets in New Orleans and Baton Rouge and major juried shows in Louisville, KY.
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Artist Works:
Artist Biography:
I come from a family who has always valued and accepted creativity as part of life. My grandfather built his home and a 25’ cabin cruiser. My father built our home, was a skilled cabinet maker and made beautiful stained glass for the family. My mother passed on to me a love of almost every type of needlecraft and the ability to draw. That said, I was encouraged to choose a career that was practical and would allow me to support myself. I obtained a BA in Economics, worked in the securities industry in accounting and regulation for seventeen years and spent an additional eleven years as a paralegal.
In 1995, I decided to give my creative side a chance, so that I would not look back on my life with any regrets. My love of design and beautiful fabrics led me to try hand painting on silk, which I began doing on a part-time basis. I am self-taught. In 2001, I resigned my paralegal position and became a full-time artist. At first, I used silk paints, but have since graduated to using fiber-reactive dyes. My initial designs were heavily influenced by the Art Nouveau era. Although still an influence, most of my designs I now draw from photographs I have taken of local flowers.
My art continues to evolve as I add additional designs to my portfolio and experiment with different silk weaves and scarf sizes. I am an avid student of fashion, both current and that of the first half of the 20th century. I naturally observe colors and shapes I encounter. My continuing goal is to create a bit of glamour in wearable art for today’s world.
Artist Website Email to Kathleen Olson Grumich
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