Firetalk Quilts

Barbara F. Warden

Fiber Decorative

211 Marina Drive
Lewes, DE 19958

302-645-2735

bfwarden@juno.com
www.firetalkquilts.com

Studio Hours

Monday - Saturday, by appointment only

Studio Directions

Heading south on Route 1, make a left turn at Savannah Road (Route 1 E).  Drive East toward the canal.  Take a left before the canal at Front Street. ( Do not cross the bridge over the canal.)  Drive about a mile (Front Street becomes Pilottown Road) until you come to the blue sign that says Pilottown Park.  That corner is Marina Drive.  Turn left and drive for a block and a half.  211 Marina Drive is on the left.

Artist Statement

My work as an artist spans more than three decades - in painting, drawing, teaching, three-dimensional design, freelance photography - and now quilting. I received my Bachelor's degree from the University of California in Los Angeles and my master's degree in painting and drawing from the University of Maryland, College Park. After graduation, I worked in my studio for years painting and drawing, preparing for shows and teaching. My love of color and line dominated my art work.

In 1999, when I learned to quilt, I realized how much I enjoyed the entire quilting process -- selecting beautiful and varied fabric colors; designing fabric combinations; sewing the fabric pieces together which itself can bring many surprises; and the final dense top stitching  which adds another dimension to the finished quilt.  When I start working on a quilt, I do not have a preconceived design but rather begin with moveable fragments that are like random thoughts tumbling around each other.  The fragments gradually come together into larger and larger segments until I have finished the top piece. This way of working allows me to be surprised by the unexpected and then to improvise by using my discoveries. Re-directing an idea doesn't bother me because something new is developing and maybe I want to use that new something.  I do my own top stitching, which is part of the final stage of the quilting process. I use dense top-stitching so that the quilt is flat and has the feel of a rug or tapestry. 

There are many influences on my work.  I love the brilliance and subtely of the reds in Persian carpets.  I have always enjoyed Native American weaving and Asian textiles.  I listen to jazz a lot and as a painter, I study contemporary painting and drawing.

 

Exhibits

I have exhibited my work as a featured artists and in group shows at The Coastal Gallery and Frame Shop; The Rehoboth Art League;  The Stepping Stone Gallery; and The Peninsula Gallery in Delaware; at the Missoula Art Museum in Montana; the Easton Art Academy in Maryland; and The Touchstone Gallery in Washington, DC.  Most recently, Delaware Senator Tom Carper selected four of my art pieces to hang in his Washington DC office.

 

Collections

Arizona, California, Delaware, Montana, New York, Washington state and Washington DC