Lisa Rico

With a background in graphic design and a love of art and textiles, I approached a crossroads in my life... early retirement. What would my creative expression be now? After much experimentation and little satisfaction, I found my muse. While in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I happened into the Thirteen Moons Art Gallery. On the wall in front of me was a beautiful piece of fiber art -- the first I had seen. I knew at that moment that I wanted to work with fabric.

In the years since, I have immersed myself in the process of learning various techniques textile artists use, as well as how to use a sewing machine. I'm still learning. I also embarked on a journey of discovering my own style. I'm still discovering. Many wonderful artists have helped me along the way. And, they still do.

The result is my work. I begin with an inspiration and then translate that into a drawing. From there it goes on fabric, mainly cotton, sometimes silk. Using your fiber reactive dyes and all the necessary chemicals to make them work (if you want specific chemicals used I can provide that), I paint the image. Finally, I embellish it with thousands of stitches in hundreds of colors to show the shadows, highlights and texture. Faces are my favorite. This form of expression feeds me in ways I never knew possible. I hope you enjoy it as well.