Today we’d like to introduce you to Ann Harwell.
Hi Ann, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Santa Claus brought me a hand cranked Singer sewing machine when I was 5. Barbie and Ken were well dressed. When I could operate a full size sewing machine I made clothes for myself and my sister, including wedding dresses. I did dressmaking and alterations in my home and at department stores. When my first son was born I made him a baby quilt and I was hooked. The traditional geometric shapes were fascinating and so much fun to manipulate but I soon wanted to make my own patterns. I have not been constrained in my choice of subject matter; flowers, family members, landscapes, dinosaurs, snakes, spiders, NASA images all have been transformed into cloth.
I wrote a thank you note to National Geographic thanking them for their article on the the Hale-Bopp Comet. They sent a photographer to our house and put the picture in their April 1999 issue. That same year I was juried into Artspace in downtown Raleigh and maintained a studio there for 12yrs. I moved my studio home in 2011. My work has been to Japan, China, Taiwan, Germany, England and all over the US. I was represented by Lee Hansley Gallery until his death. Currently I am represented by Momentum Gallery in Asheville.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The art world has been slow to accept fiber especially quilted work as a legitimate medium. Often viewed as craft, sentimental, decorative and domestic. Most shows and contests now have no restrictions on the medium and now view fiber as fine art.
My work day started at around 5:30AM and continued until around 8Pm with breaks for meals and exercise seven days a week. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013. In 2021 macular degeneration was diagnosed. The combination of the two has greatly affected my work. I am unable to work as long as I want and the precision and craftsmanship is difficult.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I construct my work like fine garments. Everything is pieced. I don’t use glue, paint or have the fabric printed. 100% cotton commercial fabric is what I use because of the massive selection of colors, prints and images. The longevity and stability of commercial fabric is important. I use a 1951 Singer Featherweight and a Juki TL2200QP. Both are straight stitch home sewing machines. Both are hand guided and have no software. I am not ready to turn my work over to AI or computer guided software.
How do you think about luck?
Is it luck, fate, destiny, the hand of God? You definitely have to be at the right place at the right time with the right work for the right audience. Self promotion is required. Waiting to be discovered is a very long wait.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.annharwell.com
- Instagram: annjharwell
- Facebook: Ann Harwell Art
