Margreta Silverstone’s artist statement

Fiber artist

• Margreta’s web site
  
• A gallery of Margreta’s quilts

I want my art to bring the holy to the world. I want my wearable art garments to give dignity to the wearer. I want my work to be a source of healing the spirit.

I first learned to quilt from women at my church in Washington, DC. You need to visit my church to realize how ironic to be doing such a traditional activity in a very non-traditional church. We gathered to make a log cabin quilt-in-a-day, but the power went out mid-day. It took longer than a day to finish that quilt; by the end, I was hooked.

How does one describe influences on your own work? I grew up in Washington state and did a lot of hiking and photography. Does my sense of color come from those formative years? Does my love for the simple come from the year I spent in Japan where I taught English as a missionary and practiced shuji? Does my current sense of patterning come from more than 8 years of working in the computer industry? How does one take the experiences of a lifetime and pick the parts that are “important”? Where and how does my faith influence my work? I don’t journal enough to answer all these questions. I’d rather spend my time DOING my artistic work.

It took me ten years to apprentice in this art craft before I was willing to hear the criticisms of others through juried shows. My apprenticeship was not as long as Itchiku Kubota’s (master kimono maker in the tsujigahana style), but I understand the same need to perfect one’s skill and knowledge. I still have many things to learn.

Margreta Silverstone works as a senior child welfare management specialist for the federal government where she assists states in planning, building and implementing information systems that support child welfare service delivery. Her art work, developed in her other hours, has been exhibited in national and international quilt shows. Her works have been included in various publications and are in corporate and private collections.