Opening reception Wednesday, August 8, 5-8 PM

Elizabeth Sylvan creates quilted landscape collages made of fabric. Her pieces are intended to delight the eye and quiet the mind while exploring value, color, and natural themes. Although Elizabeth now calls Massachusetts home, she grew up amidst the woods and rural farmlands of Pennsylvania, which lead her on to explore the wilder places depicted in her art quilts. Having always felt most at home in the wilderness, she uses fiber to capture that moment of solitude when the observer feels connected to the world. Trees, landscapes, clouds, and the color of the sky at twilight and dawn – these are her inspiration. Thus, her quilts tend to recall favorite universal images and natural symbols: the sun and moon, mountains, birds, seasons and water, occasionally mixed with a touch of the whimsical.

Using a raw edge appliqué technique, Elizabeth assembles each quilt in layers, just like a watercolor painting. She uses cotton, but her work also incorporates hand-coloring, touches of other fabrics such as silk or lace, and small found or recycled elements including foil, wood, and glass. Many of her pieces are assembled intuitively, but she also enjoys working from photos and taking commissions.