Susan Blackburn Fiber Artist

Front Street Gallery

360-598-6133

Front Street Gallery's Artists have a variety of creative talents.

At FSG, you will find a wide selection of representational and

Susan Blackburn - Fiber & Wearable Art

I describe my work as sculptural fiber art. I make three dimensional objects that surround space or allude to the containment of space in some way. I am fascinated with the concept of creating vessels – objects that contain, protect, or nurture something of value. Sometimes my vessels take a functional form, such as a bowl. Other times they are less literal, only suggesting that something intriguing may be hidden within. When I began working in three dimensions, I felt that I found my true artistic self. There is something viscerally satisfying about the process of taking delicate materials and sculpting them into shapes and volumes. I always strive to achieve a delicate balance between the complexity of texture and the simplicity of shape.

Memories of Seashells Bowl

Susan Blackburn

phone: 360-813-3016

E-mail:

SusanFBlackburn@gmail.com

Golen Coral Brooch

Nature’s geometry is a major influence in my work. Natural geometric patterns are just perfect enough to provide structure, and just imperfect enough to be aesthetically appealing. I try to capture these perfectly imperfect patterns in my work. Another theme in my current work is transparency. I am intrigued by the idea of being able to see beyond the surface and into the depths and structure of a piece, or being able to see the inside and the outside at the same time. I want to draw the viewer in to take a closer look and to think about how the different layers interact with one another.

My primary medium is thread. I create my pieces using free motion machine stitching on dissolvable stabilizer. With this technique I am able to stitch anything from a very gauzy mesh to a very dense fabric. Once the stabilizer has been dissolved away, only the thread remains. To add rigidity to the larger pieces, I incorporate wire that I have covered with fiber and thread. I often embellish my work with beaded elements, tyvek, silk paper, or whatever strikes my fancy.