ATC for Ruth Walters

Not the best photo ever, but I wanted to share this ATC made as a good-bye token for friend and fellow Fibervision member, Ruth Walters.  It is 2.5" x 3.5" and working at that size is a challenge!  I started with a piece of red hand-dyed fabric and printed from a Thermofax screen featuring art by Judy Coates Perez called Floribunda.  I then fused some greeny-yellow hand-dyed waves on to it and added some beads.

Ruth has moved to Santa Fe to be closer to her family as her health has become a challenge and she will certainly be missed.  She's a delightful woman and an extremely talented artist and it has been a pleasure and privilege to know her.  When I first moved to Santa Barbara in 1985, Ruth had a store in the downtown area that featured beautiful hand-made objects.  You could buy locally made art in price ranges from $10 to $5,000.  It was a wonderful store and, being mostly broke at the time, I loved that I could go there when it was time to buy a gift for some occasion and be sure to find something fantastic in my price range.  The quality and creativity of the merchandise was a direct reflection of Ruth's artist eye.

I didn't know Ruth then, but was fortunate to get to know her later in her fiber-arts years and have always been in awe of her talent.  I can remember several well-know art quilt teachers who would wander by her table during a workshop and make suggestions, not knowing that she had her own clear vision and would end up with a work that would blow the rest of us out of the water.

Happy trails, Ruth!  Your unique energy and talent will be missed around here.