Andrea Finch

Artist Statement

Once a traditional flat quilter, my work has left the surface, now sculptures that taunt the viewer to reach out and touch. My garden, as it changes through the seasons, is the inspiration for my work. Starting with botanical forms of leaves, flowers, or weeds, reducing the designs to abstract forms, finding the essence of the structure. I create art to show aspects of the natural world that starts conversations about saving our natural world.

I use all textiles, new and vintage quilting fabrics, repurposed quilts, reclaimed textiles, and decorator samples diverted from landfills. Viewing my wall of collected textiles, pieces catch my eye, bringing color, texture, or pattern to my art. Each piece is a unique collection of hand-cut fabrics, stitched together with liberal use of thread by dense machine quilting through multiple layers of fabric and batting, that form the stiffness to defy gravity to create the desired shape.
In my work, I save memories, preserve the environment, and create art that is accessible to everyone. Art that makes you smile in a world that can be so bleak. I am creating a whimsical garden of flowers and vessels with ties to my family and community.