I’ve been an artist all my life, studied printmaking at MassArt, made a few quilts in my early twenties, and got seriously interested in art quilt making almost 25 years ago. I prefer to work improvisationally and think of my quilts as something like abstract paintings. As an art school student, I really struggled with the idea of abstraction in painting and printmaking. As a quiltmaker, I love it. My work is about exploring rhythm, patterns, shapes, and unexpected color combinations to create pieces that are not representational, but which invite viewers to slow down and contemplate.
     My favorite part of quilt making is the design process. I pull out big piles of fabric and use a flannel board on the wall to work out my compositions. It can take days or even weeks of arranging and rearranging bits of fabric until I’m satisfied. I often find that the tiniest scraps are what finally bring the entire piece together. My social media activity is pretty haphazard (I’d rather be quilting than posting!) but you can occasionally see new work on Instagram @annstreadleworks