Artisan Profile

“I am a life-long artist. In the past, I earned my living as a seamstress and toy maker. A love of fabric, its malleability and patterning, informs my work as a painter. The work often includes items like scrapes of cloth and paper salvaged from everyday items such as packaging and catalogues. Layers and colors, along with the absence of a temporal anchor, serve to challenge the viewer while welcoming them in. Combining paint, collage materials, stencil and drawing, I work with impulsive thoughtfulness.

My informing subjects and imagery are often found in domestic objects; their experssion, however, depends on the alchemy of the materials. As a “self-taught” artist, my work is somewhat naive and quite personal, yet seems to speak to many who viw it in a personal way as well. I parenthesize “self-taught” because I do not believe such a thing can exist. As social creatures, we are products of our environments and our passions. While I do not have a formal arts education, I have learned from working artists through classes, camaraderie, and observation. Creativity sustains me and, in turn, I make it my mission to return the favor.”

-Ilene Weiss