Iris Simmons - Quilt Artist

My intense love of fabrics and textiles fuels my passion for designing and sewing art quilts. The spontaneity of the design/building process allows me to feel free to design and capture anything I choose in fabrics.

My work, while largely abstract, uses bold, bright colors and geometrics with a softness quality. Using a variety of fabrics and embellishments, I enjoy bringing visual excitement to a piece of art. I especially love the sheen, texture and reflective color aspects of dupioni silk. I use it frequently. I will use anything in a piece of work to achieve my surface design objective. If it works, use it: copper screen, napkin rings, a tongue from a shoe, and more!

It is important to me that my work reflects strong, well-balanced design components, colors that are harmonious with the theme/feeling/tone of the piece and textural energy. I strive for a strong visual impact, one that elicits that "wow" feeling.