Marcia Cary

My work is biomorphic, variously influenced by surrealism, Paul Klee, textiles, pattern & decoration, Krazy Kat, and whatever is going on at the moment. I like various media, finding that a change of medium is like opening the window.

Collections:
In addition to found objects, I'm a regular collector of ideas. I use my sketch books as a place to collect ideas. Sometimes I let my pen or pencil wander. Other times I draw from life, the view out my studio window being a favorite. I also work out ideas and create multiple solutions to a design or painting. I cut pictures that I like out of magazines. I save other people's to-do lists that I find. I save interesting detritus. And finally, my sketchbooks are a source of ideas. I started with my first sketchbook at 15, although I have worked on paper starting at 3-years-old.

Compost:
I stew and cook, combine facets of my experience, wait awhile, and something happens. Like compost, sometimes I can recognize odd little bits that haven't broken down -- a piece of corncob here, a leaf there. In my work, I don't always know immediately where an idea comes from, but like the compost, I can see little bits of myself.

I've used Dharma products for many years, mostly Procion dyes and fabrics. Recently, I've been experimenting with different dye products.

The quilted pieces (Flapping leaves and Getting out of my way) are based on a number of paintings and drawings. I make a full-sized cartoon and then make individual pattern pieces. In Flapping leaves, for example, before I could make the "leaves," I discharge-dyed commercially dyed fabric using paste thickener for bleach and sodium thiosulfate crystals to stop bleaching action. I used silver brush-on dye or paint, and probably fuchsia Procion for the pink. The border was discharge-dyed. I also used acrylic paint on some of the smaller pieces. In both pieces, I used fabric markers. The whole thing is sewn by hand.

Green stripes:
Bleach, Jacquard textile paints, thread

Tree in the clouds (Irish lace) and Slashes, fins and topiary (cutwork) are sewn to backgrounds painted with Jacquard and Lumiere.

Marcia Cary
www.marciacary.com
marcia@marciacary.com

MFA: painting, University of California, Berkeley. My main mentors at Berkeley were David Simpson and Richard Shaw. BA: University of California, Davis. Majored in Painting with a minor in art history. I studied with Squeak Carnwath, Wayne Thiebaud, Cornelia Schulz and Ralph Johnson.