Alice Brinkman - Textile Hangings

Featured Artist

“Form and color are the elements which most intrigue me when I am creating a textile hanging. The magical way colors mix and change with manipulation of the cloth in endless possibilities and the challenge of combining a wide variety of surface dying techniques with different cloth choices to express an idea or theme is what keeps me so engaged in this medium. I have witnessed art making as a vehicle for healing and connectedness. Therefore, though my work is often in solitude, I am compelled to seek ways to involve others in the creative process.”

“My educational background is in Textiles and Clothing (University of Illinois, Champagne, IL). This training, along with several years operating my own dressmaking business, gave me the skills to use the special characteristics of cloth to create images. My particular specialty is surface design and manipulation of cloth rather than making the cloth. The magical way colors can mix and change with manipulation of the cloth and the dye pot continues to fascinate me, and like most other artists, I find myself wishing there was more time to experiment with my medium. But I have chosen to be involved in several other facets of life, including, most recently, opening a neighborhood art center, teaching art to children (part time), family, church, etc.; all of which contribute indirectly to my 'art' by providing me with rich experiences from which to create visual images.”