Karen Riggins
Versailles, KY
Karen’s studio windows look out on a wonderful landscape of wildflowers, woods, bird, butterflies and fabulous sunsets. Her art quilts and clothing are inspired by the beauty of the nature that surrounds her and her love of gardening.Karen began 30 years ago as a traditional hand quilter making large quilts and quilted clothing. Although she still incorporates some of the traditional elements into her pieces, Karen now uses a much broader range of techniques, methods, and basic raw materials to create her organic designs that are reflective of her love of gardening and nature
Working with a variety of raw fibers, and fabrics such as cotton, silk, angelina and wool, and techniques such as hand dyeing, fabric painting and stamping, and surface beading, plus free motion machine work she is able to give depth and organic texture to her pieces.
Picture 1: WINDSWEPT DREAMS (2007)
The leaves of native trees and shrubs are featured in this piece. The leaf patterns were taken from real leaves picked from native trees, shrubs and vines on our farm. The leaves used were the Redbud, Witch-hazel, Maple, High Bush Cranberry, Yellow Wood and Passion Flower Vine.
A variety of techniques and fibers were used to construct this piece. Silk, hand-dyed rayon, Angelina fibers and metallic threads were all used to create the overall effect.
SIZE: 14" x14"
PRICE: $$350.00
Picture 2: REDBUD SPRING (2007)
The abtstract depiction of Kentucky Redbud Trees blooming in early spring was created with hand dyed and hand painted fabrics, free motion curved piecing and machine quilting that shows the tree branches outlined against the pale blue sky. Later in the spring, another Kentucky wildflower, the Mayapple, blooms under the faded Redbud trees. This quilt is the second in my series of native plants and the seasons in Kentucky.
Medium: textile, hand-dyed and hand painted fabrics, hand beading, machine pieced and machine quilted
SIZE: 29”w X 30”L
PRICE: $1,740.00
Picture 3: SUMMER WOODS
Commercial cotton prints, and hand-dyed cotton fabric,were used in a free form curved piecing method to create this piece of shadows and light. Hand stamped late summer ferns sweep across the quilt. The butterflies were made from blending a variety of fibers, and threads. Beaded fringe made with acrylic and glass beads hang like summer fruit from the quilt. A spider web created out of angelina fibers is in the lower left corner. It has a beaded spider on it.
SIZE: 49" x 34"
PRICE: $2,400.00
