Robin Cowley

A native Californian living in the SanFrancisco Bay Area, Robyn has a background that includes extensive studies in art history, charcoal and pencil drawing, oil and watercolor painting. Her practice of art, her use of color and space became increasingly abstract. She currently combines her other love-sewing-with art, and she continues to enjoy the best of both worlds by turning out abstract art quilts with strong color and graphic elements.

"There's a tactile sensation centered around the "hand" of cloth that gives me great joy. The feel is as important as the color and pattern. These all contribute to the artistic expression in each individual textile construction I make. As I work with the fabric and a new piece comes to life, I'm aware of design needs that will be satisfied by the addition of thread lines. I use these lines as brush strokes or sketch lines that add to the complexity of the overall piece. I produce most of my own hand dyed fabric, and that process itself inspires new ideas. I find that I work intuitively and draw inspiration from the world around me and beyond. Source materials include architecture particularly avant garde Japanese architecture, views of earth and the skies from afar, and the many colors and textures in nature. My work, I think, combines the best of both worlds, using color and space in an abstract manner to engage viewers with humor and lightness. All my works have a strong presence from a distance, as well as offereing the viewer a reward upon closer inspection when the detail and techniques involved can be better appreciated. My textiles are genrtslly machine pieced and quilted, with hand appliqued, hand painted and hand dyed elements.