Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Payton.
Hi Karen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
You know that feeling when when you are truly connected to spirit and you want to hold on to the magic?
Well that’s kinda how my art started.
As a teenager I fell in love with Grateful Dead music which then lead me to deep infatuation with the color and vibrancy of the hippie era. I never really let that go.
Now I am deep into living a life that is centered on love, joy and devotion.
But it’s hard!
And we all need reminders….so I create art that will put you in that vibration.
Each piece is carefully created with different textiles; old sheets, jeans, dish cloths or remnants get dyed and splattered with textile paints. Then I iron and stitch everything together on a sewing machine. If the piece contains a portrait, I use cotton with colored pencils. The final step is stretching the art onto a thick canvas and adding a wire so it is ready to hang in your beautiful home.
May the peace within me sparkle and shine through the art I share with you.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge has been being open to change. Every year my art has taken a different turn. One year it was all about originals, the next year commissions, last year it was patches, this year it has been sewing patterns and new work. It’s a good lesson on just going with the flow and not staying stuck in one place.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I make fabric collage. Original artwork built entirely out of cloth.
And most of that fabric used to be something else. An old flannel shirt. A pillowcase from the thrift store. Jeans somebody was about to toss. My studio is basically a pile of other people’s leftovers waiting to become a landscape or a groovy object.
People tell me it looks like watercolor from across the room. Then they get close and say…”wow, it’s fabric!!” That moment is my favorite part of the whole thing.
What I’m known for is the groovy stuff — dancing skeletons, desert skies, record players, guitars, mountains, bears, birds, cacti. A lot of Grateful Dead-inspired work. I call it love infested fabric art, and it’s for grateful and groovy folks.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I have a gallery show coming up called Grateful & Groovy. It’s my first show in decades. Sitting down at the table again and finding out my hands still knew how to make larger pieces of art — it’s been so fun!
Pricing:
- patterns $5
- patches $5-$50
- original art $250+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.karenpayton.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenpaytonartist/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenPaytonArt/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@karenpaytonart
- Other: https://payhip.com/KarenPaytonArt
