Artist Statement
In my work, I attempt to combine the aesthetics of earlier cultures and times with today’s needs. Most pieces are primarily made with recycled/reclaimed or found elements: upholstery remnants, leather and fabric scraps, designer sample swatches, used clothing, vintage linens, buttons, and jewelry. Some pieces feature fabrics that friends have picked up for me in their travels or items I find in Mexico (my home away from home). All are unique and no two pieces are the same.
Artist Bio
I have been creating things since I can remember, with my first “showing” in the children’s section of the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts at the age of 6. My mother taught me to sew when I was 11, and I immediately began making most of my own clothes. In my early teens I started designing bags and tops using my grandmother’s hand tatted, crocheted, and embroidered linens. Those early efforts have been reborn in Mysdiva Designs.
After an early marriage, 3 kids, and later a divorce, I returned to school and received an AA in Graphic Design. I worked in that field for 10 years….then switched gears and went into sales, as I also helped my second husband with his comic book company, doing lettering coloring, and production design. Then, on my own again, I focused on sales but felt the creative void grow…and needing something to fill it, I returned to my sewing machines 25 years ago.