Laurie Russman

Laurie Russman, New York, NY, recently joined CQA/ACC and is an excited entrant into the NJS in Lethbridge. Her work features animals - one of her loves - maybe second to quilting...

Laurie with 2 of her little friends -
(future Fidelco guide dogs...can you stand the cuteness?)

She loves to do "art quilts" but also makes lap quilts as special gifts.
She will be teaching at Internationl Quilt Festival in Chicago this March 2015


Her love of animals is shown in her work and in particular, her latest (I think) demonstration that she will be doing in Chicago - 

"I am demonstrating what I call "pet-lique" in "Open Studios"... 2-hour sessions in which anyone can drop in, watch the artists at work and ask questions...I did it for the first time in Houston last fall and it was a blast!  I take photos, frequently use apps to turn them into more-easily-traced illustrations, trace and then recreate using raw-edged fusible applique...and lots of fabric thread and ink.  Most of my art is animal-centric... and this, for example, is my donation quilt to the Quilt Alliance this year.

If you look carefully, you can see that I've used grey fabric appliqued to the white layer...all of the other features are inked in and/or stitched in."

Laurie uses this same technique for fast pet postcards that she also used in Houston.
And Pinterest has a whole collection of her "pet portaiture", but no blogs/website yet as they are a work in progress.

She learned to sew as a child but really took up quilting in 2000. She explains how she started:
"New York has the most wonderful quilt shop - The City Quilter. I walked into the shop and asked, 'What do I need and how do I do this?' and they were fabulous! I am thrilled that I will now be teaching there this summer! The most influential publication for me was and is, Quilting Arts magazine - it is a constant source of inspiration."

Laurie had entries in two special exhibits that premiered in Houston last October, and will be in Chicago too: SAQA's "Redirecting the Ordinary" and the Awarenes exhibit, "Raining Cats and Dogs".


" I strongly believe that everyone has a creative streak! The fun is in discovering your path.... and all of the friends you'll find along the way." (Laurie's quote)

The back of the quilt!  I do all of the thread-painting once the quilt is on the longarm, and use matching bobbin thread, so some very fun images form on the reverse side.

 

"And, one more, here is what's on my long-arm at the moment (or, I should say, WHO's on my longarm :))--"